Twin Troubles
by David Knight
Summary: Cowritten with Drakuzz. As usual, Genma's past comes back to haunt him in Nerima. But for Ranma, this may turn out to be a blessing. Chapter 9 is now up.
1. Chapter 1

**_Disclaimer:_**_ I do not on Ranma. Enough said about that. This story is a collaboration effort between me and Drakuzz. We hope that you will enjoy this story of ours._

**Twin Troubles**

**By David Knight and Drakuzz**

**Chapter One: The New Girl Who Isn't a New Fiancée**

It seemed like a normal day in Nermia. The sun was up, there sounds of people waking up, getting ready to go about their business.

And at the Tendo training hall, things seemed to be just as they had always been with Ranma and Genma about to engage once again in their daily morning sparing session.

Except today would have a very distinct variation.

---

"Oh Saotome-san," Kasumi called out to Genma and Ranma as they were to have their morning sparing. "You have a letter addressed to you."

Genma frowned. "Can't it wait? We have some training to take care of."

"But it says it's addressed from a Saotome Seijuro," Kasumi mentioned. "Is he somehow related to you?"

Genma paled considerably, a fact that didn't go unnoticed by Kasumi and Ranma. "What's this about, old man? You got another son around or something?" Ranma asked with a miffed expression on his face.

"Be quiet, boy!" Genma snapped, though it lacked the usual anger at his son. He looked rather nervous, as when Happosai was present.

"Saotome-san, who is this Seijuro?" Kasumi asked.

Suddenly Soun poked his head out. "Seijuro? Saotome, your father has sent you a letter after all this time?"

"Don't say his name!" Genma cried in a panic, clearly as afraid from the man as he was of Happosai.

Ranma frowned slightly at that. "Your father?"

"Oh my!" Kasumi exclaimed. "I wonder if that letter means he's coming for a visit?"

"Of course it doesn't!" Genma said a little too quickly. "He just wanted me to know he's leaving for Thailand," he said and after the hurried explanation forgot all about sparring and rushed upstairs.

They all stared at the spot where Genma had ran into the house for a bit, until Kasumi said, "But he didn't even read the letter. How would he know?"

"He wouldn't," Soun said almost sagely. "Saotome is deathly afraid of his father."

"I have a grandfather?" Ranma asked, just now realizing what this was all about.

Soun nodded. "Saotome Seijuro. He is a very rich man indeed."

"But... that doesn't make sense. My old man would be all over that money," Ranma said knowing his father's greed first-hand.

"He would, if Seijuro and Genma were on speaking terms," Soun explained. "You see, your grandfather never approved of your father's choice for a wife. Seijiro never attended the wedding and Genma took up the art of Anything Goes in return."

"I have a mother?" the pigtailed martial artist asked incredulously.

"Well of course you do. Everyone does," Soun said as a mater of fact.

Ranma was shaken by this news. "... But he told me she was dead..."

Soun looked confused. "Dead? Why would he say that? I know he has..." he paused for a moment, deciding to think his words carefully, knowing he'd have to talk to his friend soon about this. "Issues with her, but I can't believe he told you she was dead."

A fierce look of determination on his face, Ranma turned towards the house. "Don't worry. I'll beat it out of him." So, his mother was alive... and Genma had purposely made him think she was dead! He was so beating the panda into the ground for this.

Kasumi put her hand on Ranma's shoulder. "Ranma... please don't ruin the house when you do that."

Ranma gave Kasumi a grin. "No worries, Kasumi."

Soun watched Ranma start for the house and looked back at his daughter, who had a rather... angry look on her face. "Kasumi?"

His daughter turned her look onto him. "Father. What are these 'issues' that Saotome-san has with his wife?"

Soun felt a stare from his daughter, one unlike anything he would have expected from her. _This is not good._

Ranma blinked, not having seen Kasumi act like this before, and was about to say something when his own father came down the stairs in a hurry. The pigtailed martial artist didn't even have time to open his mouth when he found his hands full of his backpack. "We're leaving on a training trip, boy. Now!"

"No. You will not." Kasumi said, staring Genma down.

Genma paused. "Excuse me?"

"You have told your own son his mother is dead when she is, in fact, alive," Kasumi said coldly, walking toward the man with her eyes narrowed. "I demand to know why."

Genma sputtered nervously at that. "What... what are you talking about?"

"Do not act as if you don't know what I mean," Kasumi told him, glaring at him. "If you ever wish to have another meal in this house, you will tell me now."

Genma paled at the very real threat, which was even worse for the man than being threatened with bodily harm. "It's because... for him... she is dead. She's been dead since Jusenkyo." Normally he wouldn't think of telling the truth, but right now the best food he had ever tasted was on the line.

"Explain," Kasumi demanded.

Ranma crossed his arms over his chest, glaring furiously at Genma. "This better be good, old man."

Genma gulped at the combined glares and slumped. "Before I took Ranma on the training trip... Nodoka made me sign a pact..."

---

A young girl got off of a train at the Nerima Station. Dressed in a pair of Chinese clothes and carrying a single bag over her shoulder she started walking.

_So this is Nerima. Seems simple enough I suppose._ She mused. By now the priestesses knew she wasn't in her room and already let him know she was gone. _He'll figure it out, and he'll not like it. Even still, he'll accept it._

She looked at her watch after a while and realized an hour had gone by since leaving the station. _I've really been walking for a while now without direction,_ she asked herself, scratching the back of her head. _Well, I did want to see the city first before getting down to business. I am going to be here for a while. Hmm, what to do now?_

The district of Nerima was peaceful from what she had seen so far, with pedestrians walking down the streets going around their usual business, and appeared to be completely different from what she'd been told.

_Maybe his people were misinformed,_ she wondered as she continued to walk.

Just as the girl was thinking about this, another person walking down the street took notice of her. He quickly started making his way towards her.

"Hmm?" the girl tilted her head. _Who is this?_ Alerts in her brain started to go off. _And why does he look as though he's lovestruck?_

"My pigtailed goddess!" Kuno Tatewaki cried in glee as he lunged for her, open arms and lips leading the way, dressed in his usual hakama.

The redhead girl avoided the man by sidestepping, watching him fall to the sidewalk head-first. "'My pigtailed goddess'" she muttered. "I've never been called that before."

To her immense surprise, the boy got up as if nothing was wrong after falling flat on his face. He did manage to catch her in a rather intimate embrace this time. "Oh how the heavens cry in joy at this fated union!"

The girl became annoyed. "Get your hands off of me this instant, stranger. I am not your pigtailed goddess. I've never even met you."

The passion-dazed boy ignored her protests as he leaned down and kissed her fully on the lips, holding her tightly against his body.

_"...YOU PERVERT!"_ the girl screamed and then acted.

Everyone turned at her scream. There they saw one redheaded girl and a boy whose head was buried into the ground.

_He stole my first kiss... my first kiss!_ She fumed silently, clenching her fists. _He's lucky I don't do worse!_

Kuno twitched as he lay there, the blow he received too much even for him to remain conscious.

"Geez, don't tell me one out of ten people here are like this guy," the red head sighed. She had a rather peculiar feeling.

She was hungry.

"Great. This is what I get for not eating before I get on the train," the red head sighed once more. Picking up her bag she started walking. _Wonder if there's a Chinese restaurant here. I'd even settle for ramen at this point._ Suddenly she smirked. _Then again, now that I am in the mood, how about I drop in on the person I came here to see in the first place... and pay him back._

---

"I'm going to kill you!" A female Ranma sputtered in rage as she jumped out of the pond and charged Genma. Not only did the fat ass tell her her mother was dead, but he also blamed it all on the current female martial artist. He said it was because she wasn't enough of a man they could never see Nodoka again.

Genma backpedaled frantically, not having seen Ranma this upset before and really wishing he didn't tell his son, currently daughter, about the pledge and why they couldn't go see Nodoka.

The noise had gotten the attention of the rest of the Tendo family. "What's going on now?" Akane asked.

"Ranma is about to kill his father," Kasumi said emotionlessly. "I really don't know if I should stop them."

Nabiki raised an eyebrow at that. "Is that really you speaking, Kasumi?"

"Nabiki, few things make me angry. Telling someone that your mother is dead when she is in fact alive, and having signed some very stupid pact when Ranma was only a baby happens to be two of them." Kasumi returned coolly, her eyes focused on the Saotomes.

For Soun, he wasn't sure what to make of this change with his daughter.

"Now, now, boy... Get a grip of yourself," Genma tried frantically, already his defenses broken and his flesh being pummeled.

Ranma only seemed to become angrier, though he did refrain from maiming or killing blows.

"Listen! It's the truth! Because of that pact we signed, we can't see your mother! Don't you understand..."

"... What the hell have you been up to!"

Ranma stopped in beating the hell out of Genma, after a particularly nasty kick that sent him crashing against the rocks surrounding the pond, and turned to see a rather familiar redhead standing there with an incensed look on her face. "What the...?"

Nabiki raised an eyebrow at the new arrival, surprised in despite of herself.

"What in the..." Akane gasped. _Two Ranmas?_

Soun and Kasumi were silent as the redhead approached Genma, and pulled him up by his gi. "Answer me, why is there a girl that looks like me and where is Ranma?"

Genma blearily opened his eyes, that last blow to the head almost made him pass out, and stared at the angry redhead. "Calm down already, boy... We don't have a choice."

"Boy! I am a girl you fool!" the redhead snapped, her anger showing. "I can't believe you actually went and found someone to impersonate me. And where's Ranma!"

Genma blinked. "... Boy... Did you hit your head again?"

At that Nabiki cracked a smile, amused by the whole thing, while Ranma simply continued to stare at the redhead.

The girl stared for a moment before pulling him right in front of her face. "I truly can't believe you are my father."

Genma seemed confused for a moment... before his eyes snapped wide open. "... No..."

"Well this is interesting," Nabiki commented with a smirk.

Ranma's eyes mimicked her father's. "Father!"

"So now you do remember," the redhead gave an evil grin, pulling out from her bag an exquisite Chinese sword. "Your dear daughter Ranko."

Genma suddenly, and with a great show of dexterity, got out of Ranko's hold and made a break for it. It would've worked, too, if he didn't find his face full of Ranma's foot.

Thankfully for the older martial artist that was enough to send him into unconsciousness.

Ranma snorted at the old man and lowered her leg. "Stupid old man."

"Yes he is." Ranko said, glaring at the other redhead. "And now who are you and why did you agree to impersonate me for my father. It's the most stupidest thing to do since grandfather would have know in an instant."

Ranma glared back, responding to hostility the only way she was taught how. "What are you getting your panties twisted for, tomboy?"

"Tomboy? I'd take that as compliment if you weren't an imposter." Ranko returned.

Kasumi however stepped in between them. "Both of you stop now. Ranma, your father is responsible for this, not whoever this girl is. You have no reason to fight."

Ranma didn't want to back down, but this was Kasumi asking her to do so. She simply nodded to the eldest Tendo daughter and turned to give Ranko a cautious look.

Ranko let the sword drop from her hands, starting at the girl that looked just like her. "... Ranma...you're... Ranma?" she muttered in disbelief.

"What's it to you?" She asked and then her eyes widened in realization. "No... Oh no! Old man!" She cried as she went for Genma's unconscious body. How could he strand her with another fiancée?

The reaction was different then expected. "My brother... what did that bastard do to you?"

"Five thousand yen," a female voice was heard to the side and upon turning Ranko could see a girl with short brown hair, a hand extended as if expecting the cash.

"And you are?" Ranko asked, while handing over the money at once. She wanted answers as fast as possible and at this moment, money really didn't matter.

Nabiki took the money and gave the smaller redhead a smirk. "Tendo Nabiki. As for your question, Genma got both himself and Ranma cursed on a training trip through China."

"Cursed!" Ranko blinked before becoming angry. "He cursed my twin brother into looking like me!"

"... TWIN!" Akane screeched. _Twin Ranmas for real!_

Ranma looked at Ranko in shock. "I have a sister?"

Ranko's shock was back on her face. "Y-you mean, you don't remember me?"

"Remember you? I've never met you before!" Ranma said.

Ranko stared at him...her, in disbelief. "How couldn't you? We were on that training trip together for three years until..." her eyes crossed Genma's form. "...you bastard... you made my own brother forget I even existed!"

"Three years?" Nabiki asked. "You were lucky, then."

"I'd imagine, considering I have learned just how stupid father can be from grandfather."

That woke Genma up instantly. The very thought of his daughter being raised by Seijuro... Without a word he made a break for it, jumping over the wall and roof-hopping away. Saotome Secret Technique.

"Get back here!" Ranko shouted. "I haven't even paid you back yet!" it was useless; he was gone. "Damn it! And after I got kissed by that nut bar that called me a goddess I was so looking forward to paying father back for all the hell he's caused me."

Ranma walked over to Ranko and the Tendo sisters could tell they were related at once. Aside from the fact that they looked exactly the same they even wore similar clothes, even if Ranma's were wet silk that clung to her body like a second skin. "What's your name?"

"Saotome Ranko."

Ranma shook her head to clear it. "Even the name..." she mumbled under her breath.

"... this is too weird." Akane muttered.

"And it promises to get even better," Nabiki said with a smirk, seeing the ease with which Ranko parted from the money had her very pleased.

Ranma, meanwhile, continued to stare intently at the other redhead.

"You mean, you're stuck as..." Ranko started to say however to her shock saw Ranma changing into a boy... with Kasumi pouring hot water over Ranma's head.

"I do think that was needed," Kasumi said before walking away. This was a rather personal matter, after all.

"Thanks, Kasumi," Ranma said and turned to stare down at his now shorter sister. "I'm Saotome Ranma, sorry about this."

Ranko composed herself then. "... I don't know what to say. I finally get to see you... and I don't even know what to say."

Ranma, already recovering from the shock since his life had prepared him for pretty much anything, smirked slightly. "Hi would work."

Instead of that, she simply hugged him. "I've missed you, brother."

Ranma blinked a little nervously at the reaction, but since the hug wasn't in any way possessive he slowly placed his arms around her shoulders. "It's nice to meet you."

Kasumi felt a sense of joy at this sight. Soun wasn't sure what to think at all._Genma never mentioned having a daughter..._

Akane was wondering just how much like Ranma Ranko could be, seeing as they were twins. Can't be a pervert though. She's a natural born girl.

Ranma eased out of the hug and looked down at his sister, thinking it would definitely take some getting used to. "So I have a little sister, huh?"

"Twin sister," Ranko corrected him. "Grandfather will be surprised for sure when he comes next week."

Soun's jaw dropped. "You- you mean Seijuro is coming here?"

"Grandfather sent the letter as a way of letting father know we were coming," Ranko said, and scratched the back of her head. "Of course, my coming early wasn't something grandfather expected."

"What does he want?" Ranma asked suspiciously. If he was anything like Genma…

Ranko looked at her twin seriously. "He wants to see which one of us is better suited to be his heir."

Ranma took a step back, a guarded expression on his face. "Good luck. I'm not getting involved with yet another old bat."

Ranko frowned. "Do not disrespect our grandfather. He may be traditional, but at least he didn't sell me off and forget about me!"

"I'll call him whatever I want," Ranma snapped back. "Who does he think he is, anyway? He can't press me into being his heir after not being there all these years!"

"It's not as if he didn't try to find you!" Ranko snapped. "Did you honestly think after grandfather found me, found out what father did to me, that he would allow his other grandchild to remain in his son's hands! He tried to find you damn it!"

"Maybe I was lucky he didn't," Ranma grumbled and turned away, searching for his old man. If he knew him well, and he sure did, he should be hiding somewhere and spying on them.

Ranko growled, part of her angry at her brother's disrespect for their grandfather, another part understanding and sorry for getting into a fight. And then she became curious. "What are you doing?"

"Searching for the panda," Ranma explained, forgetting Ranko had no idea about Genma's cursed form.

"Panda?" Ranko blinked. "What panda?"

"That lazy ass that calls himself our father," the pigtailed martial artist said and his eyes narrowed. "He must be hiding pretty well."

Suddenly both of them smelt something rather tasty. Both turned around and saw Kasumi leaving food that she had cooked outside of the dojo.

When Genma didn't appear even then, Ranma whistled. "He must be pretty spooked about your grandfather, kid."

"Our grandfather," Ranko clarified. She wasn't going to let her twin forget it. "And yes, grandfather said father was always scared of him. He never could beat grandfather in a fight."

That caught Ranma's attention instantly. "Really?"

Ranko nodded. "Yup. I've never seen grandfather lose to anyone. He's taught me his art ever since his people found me from where I was... left." the left was said rather hesitantly.

"Hmm... He's lucky he's never crossed with me, then," Ranma said with a confident smirk. He knew he could take on anyone, Genma was cakewalk for him now.

"Really?" Ranko asked, taking that smirk for what it was. "Care to have a preview, brother? I still need to work off my anger from that freak that called me his pigtailed goddess."

"'Pigtailed goddess'... Kuno!" Akane exclaimed catching their attention.

"So the pervert has a name?" Ranko muttered.

At the mention of pervert, Akane was right over to Ranko. "What did he do to you?"

Ranko crossed her arms over her chest. "The jerk grabbed me, hugged me and ki-kissed me." She flared with anger remembering that. "I knew the jerk wouldn't stop so I did what I needed to make him stop."

"Which was?" Kasumi asked.

"Taking his momentum and ramming him head first into the sidewalk."

Ranma thought about it for a moment and gave Ranko his most infuriating grin. "I don't fight girls."

"... what did you say?" Ranko said, almost a whisper.

Nabiki snorted from the side. "That's Ranma 'I don't fight girls' for you, Ranko. He's got this idea that women are weak and should be protected," the middle Tendo sister said, wanting to see the reaction of what appeared to be yet another martial artist.

"Grandfather was right. Father really is a moron." Ranko muttered staring at her brother. "I cannot believe you bought that crap from our father. I am SO glad grandfather undid all of the Anything Goes that father taught me."

Ranma shrugged. "What did you learn, anyway?"

"Throw a punch at me and find out." Ranko dared.

Ranma raised to the bait with his best weapon. His smirk. "I don't hit girls."

Ranko smirked back. "Who ever said anything about 'hitting'. All I said was throw a punch at me. I never said you had to connect."

"So you can use my momentum against me?" Ranma asked, remembering her comment about Kuno, "I think not." He already had suspicions about what she used. Maybe Aikido or something similar.

"Well, at least you aren't as dumb as father," Ranko returned. She was really glad she had come down early. She doubted her grandfather would approve of her brother as he was, not even able to have a fight with his own sister. _And that would I mean I wouldn't..._ She pushed that thought out of her mind, as what was in front of her was important. After a few more seconds, she made her decision. "Normally, I like my opponents to start the fight... but you have forced my hand, brother!"

"Bring it on, tomboy," Ranma mocked and placed his hands behind his back, seemingly leaving himself open for attack.

_He is mocking me._ She thought but kept her anger down. She was going to break this crap he had been fed for ten years before her grandfather came. She swore it. Without a cry she charged him, attacking with speed and grace.

Ranma raise an eyebrow as he stepped away from a rather well executed double punch and started to move through her attacks in a rather familiar way to the Tendos. He always did that to asses his opponents and get them off-balance. That and...

"That was almost decent... For a girl, that is..." Mouthing them off to get them angry. One of the prime tenets of the Saotome School of Anything Goes Martial Arts. One in which Ranma surpassed even his father.

"Lame insult!" Ranko returned with a smile, trying again with a kick but failing. Being on the offensive definitely put her at a disadvantage, but she wasn't giving up. "I hope you have more than just stupid insults. I've heard them enough all my life from guys who thought I was just a cute available girl."

Akane shook her head, feeling a sense of vertigo watching them. "Does anyone else think this is just really weird? I mean Ranma fighting... Ranma..."

"Ranma fighting Ranko," Kasumi corrected.

"Weird? What would give you that idea?" Nabiki asked as she stared at the fight and smirked at yet another chance to tease her little sister. "She actually fits right in. A Saotome, beautiful, already met Kuno-chan and a better martial artist than you, sis. Next thing we'll know she's a better cook, too."

Akane hrmphed and turned away. _She's not a better martial artist. She's not even able to hit Ranma just like everyone else. Maybe later I'll get to fight her. She wouldn't turn me down since I am a girl too._

"You really are chauvinist aren't you bro?" Ranko said, still unable to even touch Ranma once.

Ranma smirked as he continued to dance around Ranko's attacks as if she was trying to hit smoke. "What's the matter, sis? Too many sundaes weighing you down on your hips?"

Ranko returned the smirk. "So now it's sis? At least were getting somewhere. By the way, I didn't hear that insult before. Cute, but pointless."

"Well you are pretty well put together," Ranma said with a shrug and smirked. "Almost as well as me."

"You still aren't taking me seriously," Ranko returned, her next punch even closer but still missing.

"Of course not. You're a girl," Ranma said as if it explained everything.

It still infuriated her to no end that she couldn't get him to take her seriously, but even so, she was realizing that she might not be able to win fighting him on the offensive. _He's as fast as I am. Naturally. Let's see just if you can even use your Chi to improve yourself brother._

She went to try for another punch however instead to Ranma's surprise jumped up and over. Before he reacted, she managed to touch his back with her hand before he ended up getting away. Missed the shot to throw him.

Ranma blinked as he turned to regard the redhead. "I let you do that," was his instant excuse.

"Yeah right," Ranko smirked. "You aren't as untouchable as you think bro." Saying that she went after him again, and Ranma could tell her attacks were getting a lot closer.

Ranma frowned slightly, knowing she was starting to actually channel her chi. That was something Akane had never learned to do, and probably never would if she didn't learn to control her emotions, and he decided to have a workout. He redoubled his efforts to dodge, even assuming actual fighting stances, without channeling his own inner energies.

Ranko fought back her surprise._ I'm not using a lot of chi to improve myself, and yet he's still dodging without using any!_ Her eyes narrowed. _What did he learn? What made him this way?_ She knew their father was a reason, but there had to be others.

In truth Ranma was moving slower than Ranko herself was, but his skill in fighting and experience were giving him an edge over the redhead. While she had a solid and very powerful style, he could already tell that because of their fight, she was limited to it. Him, on the other hand, had fought nearly every martial art imaginable and adapted to it. Taichi was not unknown to him, and he was using his knowledge of the style to dodge it effectively, always keeping on the move and being careful to keep himself perfectly balanced.

The frustration was getting to her but she also knew her style was in part the reason. Taichi was not an offensive art. _I can't even get a grip on him for a throw and if he doesn't attack I can't even redirect... and I am not using that technique. I won't until he takes me seriously._

"What's the matter?" Ranma asked as he noticed her frown. "You're not getting tired on me, are you?" He was sure it only a matter of time before she gave him the perfect opening.

"What, me, don't be absurd!" Ranko snapped, going again after him, though she was starting to feel it. She was not one that could stay on the offensive for too long and she had no idea how long they had been doing this so far.

Ranma took precisely that moment to make his move. The Tendos were treated to a sight they'd never seen before, for Ranma had been fighting his sister for quite a while and now he was using a technique he considered too serious for a sparring match. Granted, he didn't hurt his sister, but he still used it. Perhaps it was an unconscious show of respect?

"KATCHU TENSHIN AMAGURIKEN!" Ranma called out as he delivered hundreds of punches in less than a second. All Ranko could feel was the incredible amounts of chi burned for the attack and the wind caused by them as they missed her face by inches. Had they all been aimed at her face, and due to the surprise and suddenness of the move, she would've been beaten into a bloody pulp.

Ranko stared in shock, not believing what she just saw. "W-what ... what in the world was that?" She stared at her brother in disbelief. "How could your fists move that fast?"

Ranma smirked confidently, feeling very good with himself at having surprised his sister. "Because I'm the best there is."

Ranko just stood there, looking at him before getting into a relaxed stance. There wasn't a point to fighting her brother as he was now. If he didn't take her seriously, there wasn't a way she could win.

Ranma leaned down and whispered in the redhead's ear. "That was actually fun, little sis. Let's do it again sometime." With that he straightened and turned to give the Tendo girls a happy grin. Maybe having a sister wouldn't be so hard to get used to.

**To Be Continued...**


	2. Chapter 2

**_Disclaimer:_**_ I do not on Ranma. Enough said about that. This story is a collaboration effort between me and Drakuzz. We hope that you will enjoy this story of ours._

**Twin Troubles**

**By David Knight and Drakuzz**

**Chapter Two: The Next Day**

Dinner at the Tendo Dojo was different than usual. First was that Genma was not present. Second, Ranko, Ranma's twin sister whom no one had expected was sitting with them. Finally, and this was a surprise to all of the Tendos, although she was a Saotome she did not eat like her father or brother. She ate like a proper lady would.

"Are you sure you're a Saotome?" Nabiki asked in obvious amusement over the situation, and in a much better mood after making a few phone calls to get some much needed cash.

"Could I have some more rice please?" Ranko asked politely, holding her bowl out.

"Of course Ranko-chan," Kasumi nodded, giving her another bowl.

Akane's mind was boggling from this. Normally when seeing Ranko initially made her think of Ranma in his girl form but appearance was all they seemed to have in common.

Ranma was eating with his usual gusto for Kasumi's exquisite food, all the happier because Genma still wasn't home. "This food is great, Kasumi!" He complimented as he finished another bowl and offered back to the eldest Tendo sister for fifths.

"Leave some for the rest of us, Ranma-kun," Nabiki said dryly.

Ranko rolled her eyes her brother. "I'll assume that comes from father." She said, eating her rice.

Ranma blinked and turned to regard his sister. "Huh? What are you talking about?"

"Eating like that," Ranko replied. "Sorry if that sounded arrogant, but after how I've been raised, I pick up on stuff like that."

Ranma shrugged, not really interested, and took the bowl back from Kasumi. Giving her a thankful smile he started stuffing his face again.

Nabiki raised an eyebrow and asked of the redhead, "How you were raised? I take it you didn't grow up on the road, then?" That much was obvious, but getting more information never hurt.

"Three years with this guy," Ranko said, pointing to her brother. "Which he doesn't remember thanks to father." Note to self. Hurt father at first chance.

"How did Seijuro find you when you were..." Soun stopped himself, looking for the right word. "'separated' from Saotome?"

Ranko let out a sigh, grateful not to have to say what happened to her in between those times. "One of grandfather's people discovered me some time after father had 'lost' me. After that he took me in, and I got raised at a shrine by Shinto priestesses."

"That's unusual in this day and age," Nabiki commented. "So all your life after parting with your father you've been surrounded by priestesses?"

"Not all my life. I do go to school and train every day with grandfather," Ranko said. "I like my life."

"The training sounds great, but school sucks," Ranma commented after finished the fifth bowl and placing it down, a satisfied smile on his face.

"Why would it suck?" Ranko asked confused. "It's rather easy if you ask me. I have a solid 4.0 on my report card."

Nabiki blinked. "Okay, you're definitely not a Saotome."

Akane did a double take. "4.0? Ranma practically sleeps through his classes!"

"What?" Ranko asked, looking at her brother.

Ranma just shrugged. "Don't see what school is going to do for my martial arts." Just then Ranko started to realize the kind of person Ranma was, obsessed with martial arts over everything else.

"Well if you don't pass high school, how do you expect to own a dojo?" Ranko asked.

"Oh Ranma will inherit our Dojo once he marries Akane," Soun said proudly.

"Father!" Akane snapped.

"... marriage?" Ranko blinked.

"I ain't marrying the tomboy!" Ranma protested quite vocally.

"Don't they make the perfect couple," Soun said proudly.

Ranko stared in disbelief. _Is he for real?_

"Your father and our father decided to engage Ranma to one us, Ranko-chan," Kasumi said, trying to explain.

"It still ain't happening!" Ranma said and pointed at Akane. "I'm not marrying that graceless gorilla over there."

"RANMA NO BAKA!" Akane shouted, and Ranma saw him about to get malleted once more by Akane.

Except this time there was a clang.

Ranma blinked at the unexpected change in routine.

Nabiki nodded to herself, having expected Ranko to stand up for her brother. It seemed that even with the long separation and their differences she cared for him.

"What are you doing!" Akane shouted.

"That's my line," Ranko returned, her sword holding firm against Akane's mallet. "You were about to hit my brother with a large mallet."

"Well of course!" Akane said matter-of-factly. "He was being a jerk."

"And him being a tactless jerk gives you the right to hit him with a mallet?" Ranko asked incredulously.

"But... he's a jerk! You heard what he said!" Akane protested.

"Yeah I did, and my brother seems to be missing a lot of things, social niceties being one of them," Ranko said, rolling her eyes at her brother before looking back at Akane. "But he doesn't deserve to get hit with a mallet like that for it!"

"I do this all the time when that baka acts like that and no one said I am wrong!" Akane snapped.

"... excuse me?"

Akane stared Ranko and suddenly found herself unable to move.

"Nice one, sis," Nabiki mumbled under her breath.

Ranma just stared at Ranko. She was actually projecting quite the powerful anger aura.

"A martial artist would not attack someone over such a petty thing repeatedly," Ranko growled.

That got Akane mad. "Are you saying I am not a martial artist?"

"You haven't shown me anything to say otherwise," Ranko returned.

"Okay! Then let's go into dojo and see just how good you are!" Akane challenged. She caught Ranko's smirk. "What?"

"That's what a bully says in order to intimidate the weak," Ranko smirked. "Do you think of yourself as a bully to my brother or to others Tendo Akane?"

"Shut up!" Akane snapped. "I am a martial artist!"

Ranko looked at her with narrow eyes. "We'll see about that." She put her sword in its sheath and gave it to Ranma. "Hold this would you?" She asked as she followed Akane.

Ranma took the sword and stood up silently, wondering if he should stop this fight or not.

In the dojo, Akane was in a fighting stance while Ranko was simply relaxed. "Aren't you going to get ready?"

"I am ready," Ranko said simply.

Akane stared at her opponent for a moment before charging in and through the first punch.

A punch Ranko redirected into sending Akane down to the mat.

"I am sure my brother insults your fighting enough times so I will save you the pain of that," Ranko said.

Akane snarled, trying to sweep Ranko off her feet but the redhead avoided. She tried again to strike but again Ranko avoided the attack, redirecting the blow to send her into the wall.

Ranma frowned as he saw the fight progress, with Ranko calmly taking care of an enraged Akane.

Nabiki, who came to see her little sister wasn't hurt, matched his expression. Akane would be hurt over this, emotionally.

"Damn you! You are just like your brother!" Akane snarled. "Why don't you stop dodging and---"

Everyone stared and Akane stared in shock, trying to get her breath as Ranko had gotten through her last punch and landed a knee blow right into her chest.

"Unlike my brother, I don't have that crap about not hitting girls, especially since I am one," Ranko said seriously, eyes narrowed at the girl who looked afraid for a moment but then recovered moving back and getting ready to strike again yet Ranko kept her eyes on her. "Grandfather drilled this lesson into me." She then leapt up and delivered a jump kick to Akane's side, sending her into the wall. This time Akane fell and didn't get up. "Take every fight you are in seriously."

"That's enough, Ranko," Ranma said as he stepped forward, staring at the redhead seriously.

Ranko looked down at Akane who stared at her. "I don't know how many fights you have been in, but I'd say hardly any... any that really meant anything." She turned around, took her sword back from Ranma and walked out.

"Akane!" Soun cried, over his fallen daughter. "Oh my dear girl! Please be okay!"

Akane didn't say anything. She just stayed on the ground as she was.

Ranma sighed and left the dojo, jumping onto the roof to do some much needed thinking.

---

Ranko was sitting on the roof herself, looking at the stars when she heard someone end up on the rooftop. "Ranma?"

"This is my thinking spot," Ranma said casually as he plopped down next to her.

Ranko let out a slight laugh, getting her brother to look at her. "At the shrine, whenever I had a lot to think about, I climb to the top and stare at the stars. Helped me think better."

"I hate how the sky looks in the city," Ranma said as he gazed upwards. "During the trip I would always stare up at the stars. I think I even memorized them."

"I thought the same way. The shrine I've been at is away from the city," Ranko replied. She had a smile on her face. "The priestesses must be going nuts. By now they gotta know I am not there any more."

Ranma chuckled. "It runs in the blood I guess."

"What does?"

Ranma turned and gave her a roguish smirk. "Driving people nuts."

Ranko laughed at that. There was a silence between them before she spoke to break it. "You don't approve of what I did to that girl do you?"

Ranma turned back to the sky. "It's not right to hurt the weak."

"It's also not right to coddle those that think they are strong," Ranko replied. "Honestly, has that girl ever been in a serious fight?"

"Actually, she has," Ranma said. "She just seems to forget all about it and returns to how she is."

"Then maybe daily reminders will help rectify that," Ranko replied. She caught sight of her brother's look. "I don't intend on humiliating the girl, but her ego from what I can see is huge. She doesn't even have someone willing to train with her on her own level does she?"

Ranma snorted. "No one's on her level here."

"And you don't even try to help her?" Ranko asked. She stretched her arms out. "Just why is she so hung up about you?"

Ranma let out a breath of annoyance. "I don't know. For all her cries about not wanting me she just can't leave me alone."

_Maybe I should ask Kasumi or Nabiki about that._ Ranko thought after hearing his tone. She decided to change the subject. "... have you seen mother?"

Ranma remained silent for a while before answering. "I just found out about her today..."

"You mean, you haven't seen mother either?"

The pigtailed martial artist shook his head. "That stupid panda signed a pact. That if I wasn't a man amongst men we would both commit seppuku."

"WHAT!" Ranko whirled her head around, staring her brother in shock.

Ranma didn't even seem to notice, too busy feeling sick over the whole thing. "Not much of a man amongst men. Not with my curse."

Suddenly Ranko froze. "... oh no... oh kami-sama... no..."

Ranma turned sideways to regard her. "What's up with you now?"

"If the bastard made you sign a pact when he left on that trip..." Ranko said, looking fearfully at her brother. "Then what about me! What if father had me sign some sort of contract with you both so mother would allow him to take me with the two of you!"

Ranma hadn't thought of that. "... Let's hope not..."

Ranko nodded, feeling sick to her stomach with that thought. _Is this something you knew Grandfather? Is this why you've kept me from seeing Mother?_

---

Meanwhile, Akane was sitting in her room alone. Her body was perfectly fine.

Her mind was another matter all together. She was beaten. Beaten worse than she could remember. Sure, she wasn't the best martial artist in Nermia anymore. By now her mind had been able to accept, grudgingly, that Ranma was the best in Nermia. Ryoga was probably better than she was.

Even so, Akane thought she was still better than any other female martial artist. She thought she was better than all those other girls that hung around Ranma. That gave her something to be proud of.

Her fight with Ranko had the effect of a car crashing into a truck. It was almost like the first time she had met Ranma, when she thought Ranma was a girl. The beginning was almost so much like that time, she expected Ranko to be as arrogant and as much a show off as her twin brother.

Instead she actually hit her.

Twice.

_When was the last time someone actually hit me in a fight?_ Akane asked herself, putting her hand over her left side, the side where Ranko had hit her with that jump kick that had effectively ended their fight. A part of her was angry, she wanted to lash out at Ranko, wanted to show her that she was better than her.

_'Do you think of yourself as a bully to my brother or to others Tendo Akane?'_

And then she heard that infuriating statement Ranko had said to her. She was a martial artist. Not a bully. She didn't prey on the weak. She didn't harm the helpless. She could defend herself. She was the heir to the Tendo Dojo.

_Maybe I am not like you but there can't be that big of a gap between our skill... can there be?_ Akane asked herself. There had to be a way to show that she wasn't _that_ outclassed.

And as if a bolt of lightning had struck her, Akane had her inspiration. _... of course! It's so simple! Why didn't I think of doing this before! Why have I allowed all of this to go on for so long!_ Resolve was firmly shown on her face. _I know exactly what I have to do... and who I need to show._

---

The next morning Kasumi was preparing breakfast when she noticed a redhead walk down the stairs. "Good Morning Ranma-kun. Breakfast is almost ready."

"Sorry. Wrong twin, Kasumi-san."

Kasumi blinked, then shook her head. "I'm sorry Ranko-chan. Some times it's Ranma I see in his girl form in the morning."

"It's okay," Ranko assured her. "I'm still trying to get used to the fact that my twin brother sometimes turns into my twin sister now."

It was quite a peaceful morning in the Tendo Dojo, even if yesterday's new arrival did cause quite a ruckus. Genma still had not returned from wherever he was hiding, afraid of facing his daughter and, worse yet, his own father.

After talking for quite a while into the night the twins went to sleep in the guest room. Ranma saw no problem with sleeping with his sister. Somebody else, though, didn't take it so lightly.

"Hey!"

Ranko frowned, hearing Akane coming from behind her. "What now?"

"You slept with Ranma!" Akane snapped.

"Well yeah," Ranko rolled her eyes at the girl.

"But you're a girl!"

"No. I'm his twin sister. We shared a womb together for nine months, which is a lot more intimate than what happened last night." Ranko returned, leaving Akane speechless. "Geez, what is the problem, honestly." She walked over to the kitchen, leaving Akane alone.

The youngest Tendo had not taken well to her defeat the previous night, and even sought to take it out on Ranma, but Ranko being with him all the time served to give him some much needed peace. Even now he was still sleeping, instead of being woken up with a battle cry and a bucket filled with cold water.

"You know he's gotta wake up soon enough for school," Akane muttered.

"Oh Akane, you know how fast Ranma-kun eats," Kasumi said cheerfully. "Where's Nabiki?"

"On my way to school, sis," Nabiki said quickly as she snatched her bento from the counter. "Got some things to take care of."

"Does my brother wear a uniform to school, Kasumi-san?" Ranko asked.

"No he doesn't Ranko-chan," Kasumi replied. She noticed Ranko relax.

"Good. Glad to know I don't need to wear a uniform to go to his school," she smirked.

"You're what!" Akane shouted in disbelief.

"Well yeah," Ranko replied, rolling her eyes at the girl. "I haven't seen my twin in years. Don't you think it'd make sense for me to attend high school with him?"

Kasumi smiled. She thought that would be a great way for both twins to be able to get to know one another.

Nabiki stopped by the door and turned to give Ranko a glance. "You go to school without a uniform?"

"Yeah, why?"

Nabiki just smirked slightly. "Maybe you really are Ranma's sister, after all." And with that she was gone, heading to school with plenty of time.

"...what's that supposed to mean?" Ranko asked aloud. When no one answered, Ranko decided to have breakfast. From dinner last night, she could tell Kasumi was a great cook.

Akane however was picture how it could be to have Ranma AND Ranko at school together. _Why do I know today is going to be a bad day?_

She even thought she could hear the distinct sound of thunder outside, but the cloudless sky shot that idea right out the window.

---

"Why are you walking up there?" Ranko asked her brother, while she and Akane were walking on the road.

"Balance practice," Ranma answered casually, hands in his pockets, as he stared straight ahead. He was feeling very well this morning, maybe having something to do with the fact he actually got a full-night's sleep this time around, and was looking forward to getting some more practice with Kuno. He was going to beat some sense into the kendoist not to touch his sister.

"Doesn't bother either of you?" Akane asked.

"Does what bother us?" Ranko asked.

"Do you have any idea how many problems we are going to get with the both of you in school?" Akane grumbled. She could just feel the headache already and they weren't even at the school gates. "Especially since you look like Ranma."

Ranko was clueless. "What is she talking about?"

Ranma shrugged. "Beats me. School's pretty boring." For Ranma it was actually the low of his day, when less exciting things happened. For any sane person it was almost too much to bare.

_Boring! That arrogant baka!_ Akane growled as they reached the gates. _How can think life in this place is boring._

"Huh. Seems pretty normal to me," Ranko mused. "Just like my other high school." _Save for the occasional apparition._

Ranma jumped down from the fence and smirked. "You fought a lot in that school, little sis?" He knew they were twins.

"Now and then," Ranko shrugged. "Some guys tried hitting on me for a date and just wouldn't say know." She gave a smirk. "So, I kind had to force the issue that I didn't want to go out with them."

"If someone bothers you here just give me the heads up," the overprotective Ranma said seriously.

"Thanks, but I can handle myself just fine brother," Ranko replied, just as serious. She hadn't need protection before and she wasn't going to have it now.

_Well they are related after all,_ Akane thought to herself. _There's that damn pride showing._

Not long after they entered the school grounds they heard a rather unwanted voice. Well... unwanted in Ranko's case. Ranma was actually looking forward to butting heads with the Blue Thunder. "My pigtailed goddess!"

"Not you again!" Ranko snapped. "Didn't you get the message yesterday!"

"How the heavens weep at such a tragedy!" Surely he did not, if only because of how he continued spouting senseless drivel. "That such a being of loveliness be deprived of her one true love!"

Ranma by now was started to become really pissed. Bad enough was to have that idiot bothering him, but to bother his little sister?

"You are really starting to annoy me." Ranko growled. She was debating whether or not to take out her sword.

It was then Kuno saw Ranma standing next to Ranko and his countenance darkened. "Vile sorcerer! Enslaver or women! I demand you release the pigtailed goddess and Tendo Akane from your vile clutches!"

"Bite me, Kuno!" Ranma snapped back, itching to beat Kuno into the ground.

"I shall show you Saotome Ranma. The most evil man that ever..."

Kuno's head met the earth as Ranko shoved it there, her face contorted in anger. "Who the hell do you think you are calling evil you jerk! What gives you the right to call my brother evil!"

Ranma blinked at that, not having expected the reaction. "Uh... sis?"

"What?" Ranko asked. "This guy is not only a moron but a jerk. Does he honestly go about doing this..."

"Every single day," Akane confirmed. "And you can guess who he meant before you came along."

Ranko was confused for a moment but then got the picture. _... I think I am going to be sick._

Ranma just shook his head and turned down to see Kuno was out like a light. Great, there went his morning workout... "Let's get inside..."

"Yeah. Let's," Ranko agreed.

---

All of the students in homeroom were staring at the sight before them. Even the teacher was staring hard. Akane had already taken her seat, not saying a word and just thought to ride out however they were going to do this.

"Um... I am not sure how to explain this..." the teacher said, wondering if his eyes were playing tricks on him.

Ranko however pulled out a folder to him. "My transcripts just to prove my identity. I'll be taking them to the office later today."

The teacher just nodded, standing mutely after giving back the papers to Ranko, who addressed the class. "Hello. My name is Saotome Ranko. You all know my twin brother Ranma. Nice to meet you all." She said with a bow.

From her desk Ukyo blinked her eyes and ducked closer to Ranma. "Why didn't you tell me you had a sister?"

Ranma shrugged in reply. "I didn't know. We're still trying to get my old man to talk."

The teacher asked Ranko to take her seat and she bowed, politely bowing and doing so. She could feel students looking at her yet she didn't mind. _I think I should start getting used to this. Things are probably a lot weirder than they appear to be here._

The teacher went through his lesson plan and during the course of the lecture thought to quiz Ranko, who was looking almost as attentive as Ranma.

Unlike Ranma however, Ranko was able to give the exact answer to his question. He tried during the rest of class three more times, yet every time, Ranko answered correctly, without hesitation.

Ukyo was gazing at the redhead in wonder, with the rest of the class except for Ranma. The pigtailed martial artist was already snoring the school day away.

_How could they possibly be twins?_ Akane wondered herself, though she had a good idea. Ranma was raised by their father, Ranko was raised by their grandfather. Even so, she couldn't help but feel she was showing off.

For Ranko, it was just that this lecture, the material was something that she had covered two years ago. Thus, it was easy to get through it. She could relax but still listen and do alright. _This could be fun._

When the teacher was distracted writing something on the blackboard Ukyo hastily placed a piece of paper on Ranko's desk. She smiled in faint relief when the teacher turned, but found his class completely at ease and paying attention.

Except for Ranma, that is...

"Huh?" Ranko noticed the paper on her desk and saw writing on it.

Upon further inspection she saw a simple question on it. "Are you really Ranchan's sister?" It read.

The redhead looked around the class, wondering who sent this and saw a brunette looking at her. _Him._ She nodded her head to him, as if to answer her question.

The male-looking girl almost slapped herself for being stupid. Here was an exact copy of Ranma's cursed form and she was doubting they were siblings... She decided to have a talk with Ranko during lunch. It would do her good to start on the right foot with her future sister-in-law.

Akane noticed what Ukyo was doing as well. _There she goes again, probably going to flirt with Ranma by 'being friendly' with Ranko._She gave Ukyo another look before her eyes turned to Ranko. _I'll show you. I'll prove you wrong Saotome Ranko. _

---

Lunch time was like a welcome relief for everyone. The twins got out of class together. Ranko thought she'd have to personally wake her brother up, except the bell did that for her.

"You really weren't kidding about sleeping," Ranko said to her brother.

Ranma yawned as they walked out the normal way. He decided he would accompany his sibling today. Tomorrow he could jump out the window as usual. "School's boring."

"I sorta have to agree. Everything he taught I learned two years ago," Ranko replied.

Ranma just had to blink at that. "Really?"

"Grandfather demands excellence. He sent me to one of the best schools in the country," Ranko explained. "And that will be reason number two he'll be upset with my unexpected arrival here."

The pigtailed boy frowned slightly at that. "Upset?"

"Well, he kind of told me NOT to come here until the time mentioned in the letter," Ranko said, head down a little. "It's just that, after not seeing you for so long, listening to grandfather over and over about staying where I was and not trying to see mother or try to find you..." she looked up to her twin. "When I finally did find out where you were and that grandfather was going to have us meet, I just... went to see you."

Ranma favored Ranko with a roguish smirk, the kind that made him so popular with girls. "Let the old man get angry. I'm glad you came."

He was treated with the sight of his sister blushing, and then giving him a hug. "Thank you, brother."

Ranma was a little uncomfortable with the hug, especially when he saw some of the other students staring at them, but the strangely warm feeling it elicited in him made him return it awkwardly.

Ranko did notice and, after a little bit disengaged the hug. "By the way, there was a boy with brown hair who passed me a note wondering if we were twins. He's a friend of yours right?"

Ranma blinked at that. "Who?"

"A guy in a school uniform with brown hair pulled in a ponytail," Ranko said, describing who it was that had given the note.

The pigtailed martial artist blinked again, this time in realization. "You mean, Ucchan? Yeah, she's my friend."

"Oh... she?" Ranko blinked.

"She's been my friend since we were five. Only that I thought she was a boy then."

"Does she enjoy dressing like a boy?" Ranko asked.

Ranma grimaced at that. "It's more like she has no other choice..." Now this he really didn't want to talk about. The whole yattai story was not something pleasant.

Ranko noticed the look. "Let me guess. Our father?"

"The old man's pissed off a lot of people," Ranma said and shook his head.

"I wonder when he'll actually show up again," Ranko mused. _I still have to 'thank' him for what he did to me._

"Get in line," Ranma said with a smirk. "He's got a lot to answer for and I ain't done with him." He might not be able to read Ranko at all, but it was easy enough to guess what she was thinking. It was the usual line of thought where Saotome Genma was concerned.

"So what's for lunch?" Ranko asked, sheepishly. "I forgot to bring something today and I am not sure what the cafeterias her is like."

"You mean you didn't take the bento Kasumi prepared for you," Ranma asked in surprise. To him it was almost sacrilegious to leave Kasumi's food behind.

"That was for me?" Ranko blinked. "I thought it was for herself for wherever she might have gone. Wouldn't she be going to college since she looks too old for high school?"

Ranma instantly sobered at that. Even if others didn't think he cared, or even noticed, he knew the sacrifice Kasumi was making. "Yeah. She should..."

"You mean she doesn't go?" Ranko asked. "Did she graduate already..." The look on her brother's face told her no. "Never went at all?" A shake of the head told her. "Well, what does she do during the day? I mean she has a job right?"

"... She takes care of the family..." Ranma said quietly and sat down under the tree he picked for lunch. "It's been that way since before we arrived."

"Why wouldn't her mother take care of things?" Ranko asked. She got nothing but silence. "...oh." She slumped down to the ground. Here she was making assumptions without really knowing the family that she was staying with for the time being.

Ranma's stomach grumbled angrily, but for once he ignored it and only gulfed down half of the contents of the bento. "Here," he offered his sister.

"Thanks," Ranko said, taking the bento gratefully. "And no one else helps out in doing anything around the house? It's all Kasumi?"

Ranma shrugged. "That's just the way it is." Of course he didn't tell her he secretly helped Kasumi with some of her chores when no one was looking. If only Kasumi knew it would be harder for Genma to find out and spout his nonsense about it being a girl's job. In their travels Ranma had seen senseis that helped with the house chores, and not because of that were they any less talented in the Art.

"It's wrong," Ranko said firmly. "Everyone deserves to have a life. No one should have to sacrifice everything to make everyone else happy. What kind of happiness is that but a cheap one?"

Ranma didn't answer, knowing she was right. He just slumped a little until a familiar, and greatly unwanted, voice was heard. "HALT VILLAIN!"

He perked up at that. Kuno was here for his afternoon beatdown.

Ranko put her hand over her face. Not again. "Bro, I am eating. Could you please take care of the jerk?"

"Sure thing, sis!" Ranma cried, already up and jumping at the charging kendoist.

As the fight ensues, or rather Ranma jumping around Kuno's attacks and throwing insults his way, Ranko heard a female voice next to her. "Had your encounter with the Blue Thunder already, Ranko-chan?"

Ranko looked up and saw the boy, or rather girl, that had passed her the note earlier. "You must be Ukyo."

Ukyo smiled and sat down next to Ranko, staring at Ranma as he fought Kuno. "So you're Ranchan's twin sister. You look exactly like him."

"Of course I do. We are twins after all," Ranko giggled. She looked at Ukyo seriously. "My brother told me you were friends and that my 'father' has caused you grief. I sincerely apologize for the actions of that man. His stupidity truly knows no bounds."

Ukyo's lips formed a thin line. "Just be glad you were away from that jackass."

Not soon enough. Ranko thought. "So, you must be really good friends with my brother to follow him around or have you only been together recently?"

"I'm his fiancée, actually," Ukyo said in all seriousness.

"... his fiancée... but... I thought..." Ranko muttered, remembering that her brother had been engaged to Akane.

"I see you don't know much about Ranchan's life yet," Ukyo noted in slight surprise.

"Not really," Ranko admitted.

"It's all your father's fault. If he hadn't engaged Ranchan to all those other girls we would already be married," Ukyo said wistfully. Just thinking of being married to Ranma made her smile.

"Other girls?"

"That idiot engaged Ranchan to at least five different girls," Ukyo said and stared as Ranma actually delivered a wicked punch into Kuno's gut. He was fighting more seriously today.

Ranko felt her opinion of her father drop even further and she didn't think it could have gone any lower. _Then again, it's only day two. Who knows what else is in store?_ She took a look to her brother, who was really taking it to the kendoist. She had a smirk on her face. "And here he was lecturing me about my fight with Akane last night."

Ukyo snorted in annoyance. "That's Ranchan for you. I take it you actually took her seriously?"

Ranko nodded. "Grandfather drilled one lesson above all others into my head. 'Take every fight you are in seriously.' Words to live by."

"I hear you," Ukyo agreed.

Just then Ranma finally got tired of the fight, or it seemed that way, and executed an impossible-looking move that ended with a snap kick while upside down and a headbutt. After that Kuno was out for the count while the pigtailed martial artist landed softly on his feet. "And stay away from my sister," Ranma growled quietly, even if his opponent was in no condition to hear him.

Ranko smirked, enjoying the sight of seeing Kuno eating dirt. She looked back to Ukyo, examining her a bit closer. "So are you a martial artist as well, right?"

Ukyo nodded. "My own family style," she said, still a bit impressed with Ranma's fight. Every time she thought he couldn't surprise her any more he came up with a new move on the fly.

"Mind if I ask what that style is?"

"Kuonji Okonomiyaki Style of Martial Arts," Ukyo said in all seriousness.

Ranko blinked for a while, not thinking she heard the girl right but saw her face. "... there's a lot of weirdness that goes on in this town isn't there?"

Ukyo didn't take offense to the question, she was used to it after all. "Ranko-chan, you have no idea."

"I don't know if I should be worried or not by that comment," Ranko said to Ukyo. She then noticed someone behind the chef. "Akane?"

Ukyo blinked and turned to regard the approaching girl. "Hey, sugar. What're you doing?"

Akane didn't say anything. Instead she slowly and diliberatly handed a letter to Ukyo and then left without saying a word.

Ranko had a bad feeling about this. Her bad feeling got confirmed as she watched Ukyo open the letter and read what it said.

'I challenge you to fight at the vacant lot behind the school at five pm. This is not a joke. I am serious, so should you. This is a matter of honor.'

"Well this is something new..." Ukyo muttered.

"Heya!" Ranma greeted as he returned, a satisfied smile on his face. Who would've thought standing up for his sister would feel even so good.

"Something new?" Ranko asked Ukyo.

"She challenged me to a fight," Ukyo said in wonder.

"What?" Ranma asked, forgetting all about fighting Kuno. Seeing Ukyo nod he cursed. "That stupid tomboy."

"What's so stupid about it?" Ranko asked.

"There's no way in hell she can beat Ucchan!" Ranma said quite verbally, which elicited a smile from Ukyo.

Ranko looked indifferent. "Let the girl have the fight." She looked to you Ukyo. "You don't mind fighting her seriously do you?"

"As long as Ranchan doesn't get upset..." Ukyo said and turned to Ranma, who had a scowl on his face.

Ranko noticed it and frowned. "You aren't willing to spar with her. What with your 'I don't fight girls' ideology and from what I hear, she rarely goes about challenging others. Let her have her fight. It just might do her some good."

Ranma continued to frown but said nothing.

"Well... I guess I should see about selling some okonomiyaki before the lunch period is over," Ukyo said when she felt the tension growing. "I'll see you guys later."

The twins said good bye to Ukyo without looking at her, both of them looking at each other. Ukyo took that as her cue to leave.

"You may not like how I handle things, but that's how it is for me," Ranko told Ranma.

"... It's different for girls," Ranma protested softly.

"Really?" Ranko asked. "I'm a girl, or you just forget that fact brother?" Ranko decided now was good a time as any to go back to the school as next class was going to start soon. Also, she wanted to let what she just said sink into brother's head.

Ranma sighed and followed after the redhead. Why couldn't she understand?

**To Be Continued...**


	3. Chapter 3

**_Disclaimer:_**_ I do not on Ranma. Enough said about that. This story is a collaboration effort between me and Drakuzz. I can be reached at while Drakuzz can be reached at We hope that you will enjoy this story of ours._

**Twin Troubles**

**By David Knight and Drakuzz**

**Chapter Three: Fights**

School had ended rather uneventfully. For Ranma it was boring. For Ranko it felt too easy. Neither of them saw Akane or Ukyo after classes. They thought both of them would be getting ready for the fight, something Ranma still didn't like.

The only thing of note was that Kuno was ever so much the idiot. Now for the third time he was trying to embrace Ranko, while denouncing Ranma.

He was rewarded by a double kick to the face, one foot belonging to each sibling.

"Doesn't he ever get tired of this?" Ranko asked, annoyed that the kendoist just wouldn't leave her alone. She stared at his twitching, unconscious form.

"Kuno? He's too stupid to get tired," Ranma said placed his hands in his pockets. "I've even showed him my curse a couple of times. He doesn't figure it out."

"You're joking," Ranko asked in disbelief. The moron couldn't be THAT stupid, could he?

Ranma shrugged and walked off, leaving the unconscious boy behind without a care.

Ranko followed right behind him. "So, what do you want to do until that fight? You are going to go there aren't you?"

"That stupid tomboy. There's no way she can beat Ucchan," Ranma muttered under his breath and turned to the smaller redhead. "So watcha do to pass the time?"

"Your town, not mine," Ranko shrugged. "I'll just follow your lead until I get my bearings here."

Ranma smirked and jumped over the fence again. "I just hang out till someone attacks me."

"'Until someone attacks you'?" Ranko asked, leaping over the fence with him. "Ranma, you make it sound as if you have someone whose out to kill you around every corner."

Ranma turned to face her, walking backwards, and smirked. "Some of them are also out to marry me."

Ranko shook her head. "Your life sounds rather... complex to say the least."

"If you want to be the best..." Whatever self-centered thing Ranma was going to saw was shot to hell as a volley of chains and knives came crashing down on the talking siblings.

"What the hell!" Ranko gasped, pulling out of her backpack her sword. She immediately unsheathed it and used it to deflect the bladed weapons.

Ranma barely managed to get out of the way, precariously balancing himself on the fence as he tried to get closer to his sister. "How's it going, Mousse?"

"Saotome!" Mousse cried out from his perch atop a telephone pole. As usual his glasses were on his forehead instead of his eyes.

"I take it this is one of the guys that tries to kill you," Ranko muttered.

"There you are!" Mousse shouted and launched his weapons Ranko's way.

"You moron!" Ranma bellowed.

Ranko simply smirked, knocking the weapons aside with her sword. "You missed."

Mousse frowned in confusion. "What are you playing at, Saotome?" He'd bet he could hear the voices of both his forms.

"No game. Put on your glasses and you'll see," Ranko said with a smirk.

The myopic Amazon did so and his eyes widened. "What!"

Ranma glared up at him. "You idiot! You could've hurt my sister!"

He's got a point, but I can take care of myself. Ranko thought.

Mousse recovered from his shock and managed to smirk at that. "So... you have a sister you care about, Saotome..."

The implied threat was not lost on Ranma, who growled angrily in return.

Nor was it lost on Ranko, who moved in front of Ranma. "Bro, don't get involved."

"Like hell I won't!" Ranma protested and pushed Ranko to the side. "He's my enemy."

Ranko then returned the favor. "In case you've forgotten, I'm also a martial artist! He just threatened me! And I don't need you to protect me!" Out of the corner of her eye she caught sight of chains and used her sword to deflect. "I can take care of myself." She looked up to Mousse, keeping herself aware.

"MOUKO TAKABISHA!" Ranma bellowed and thrust his hands forward, sending a huge chi blast against his enemy for attacking them.

Mousse might not be able to see very well, but he instantly knew what was coming and didn't even have time to curse his rival before being sent flying away, already unconscious.

Ranko turned around, facing her brother. Half of her face was etched with anger, pissed off that her brother had decided to step into her own fight.

And then there was the surprise on her face as she let it known vocally. "When the hell did you learn to fire off your Chi!"

Ranma blinked. If anything that wasn't the kind of reaction he was expecting. "... Uh... a couple of weeks ago..."

Ranko stared for a moment before walking up to him. "Thanks." She then stomped on her brother's foot. "And I can't believe you did that!"

The pigtailed martial artist winced. "What did you do that for, you tomboy!"

"I don't need you to take care of my fights, damn it!" Ranko snapped. "What? Do you think I'll allow you to take out all of my foes yourself? I can take care of myself!"

Ranma glared right back at her. "That moron is my enemy, tomboy! Of course it was my fight!"

"And now he's my enemy too, or you forget about the implied threat!" Ranko reminded him. "You honestly think he's not going to try to come after me to get to you." Ranko let out an irritated sigh. "Honestly, what the hell is that jerk's problem with you?"

"He's an idiot. That's what," Ranma said and turned away, not wanting to be upset with his redheaded sibling.

Ranko sighed. We still got a ways to go. She cursed her father for this. To her, Genma was the source of all of her troubles. "Know any good Chinese restaurants. Right now I could really go for Chinese food."

Ranma sweatdropped heavily at that. "... Maybe that's not such a good idea..." He purposely aimed Mousse towards the Nekohanten.

"... let me guess. The best Chinese restaurant in town and the moron works there?" Ranko asked, sounded dejected.

Ranma nodded and sighed. "Look... Let's just go to the dojo to see if Kasumi's got something ready."

Ranko nodded. She was really wanting Chinese, though Kasumi's food sounded very good as well.

She just didn't feel like having a fight with that nearsighted fool right now.

----

Speaking of which...

Mousse felt pain like nothing else before it when he did wake up. Saotome... when has he ever hit 'that' hard?

"What stupid Mousse do to Aireen now!" An angry female voice was heard, with a familiar Chinese accent.

"Sh-Shampoo!" Mousse turned around, upon hearing the girl he so desperately loved.

The purple-haired Amazon girl stood near Mousse's landing site, which just happened to be in the alley behind the Nekohanten. She frowned. "Stupid Mousse answer question."

"Shampoo, he doesn't deserve you! I am trying to make sure that fact is clear," the nearsighted martial artist declared. "And now that I know he has a sister..." Oh he was sure going to play that to his advantage at getting after Ranma.

Shampoo perked up at that instantly. "You meet sister?"

"... what? You mean you already knew?" Mousse asked. "How?"

"That not Mousse business. Now what Aireen's sister like?" Shampoo asked, knowing that if she won this sister over before the other girls Ranma would be hers.

"She looks like Ranma as a girl. Has a sword..." Mousse then shut his mouth. "Wait. Why are you so interested in her?"

"That not stupid Mousse's concern!" Shampoo snapped and glared at him. "And don't attack Aireen!"

"But Shampoo... I..."

Shampoo didn't remain to listen to whatever he had to say and rushed back into the restaurant. She had to prepare for her first meeting with this Ranko girl

---

Sneaking around had never been hard for Saotome Genma. He was a natural-born thief, after all. One of the main reasons why he was at odds with his father and why he took so easily to Happosai's training. Even if it was torture it would've been far worse to live up to his old man's standards.

It was a sneaky Genma in panda form that reached for the fridge, wanting something to eat while Ranma was in school so he could take some more time to think how the hell to get out of this one. His father was one of the few people he truly feared and would never go openly against.

It was then he fell to the ground, something hitting him hard in the head.

"Oh my. Are you alright Saotome-san?"

Genma groaned in pain and looked up. He saw Kasumi leaning down to pick up a frying pan.

Kasumi stared at the frying pan for a moment. "Oh dear. How on earth did this fall down on your head Saotome-san?"

The elder Saotome looked at Kasumi in confusion. How indeed, since the frying pans were on the other side of the kitchen.

Kasumi stared at the fridge and saw it was open. She frowned at the panda. "You weren't trying to sneak some food for yourself now were you?"

"Would I do that?" Genma's sign read as he started to get up. He was, however, still a little dizzy from that blow to the head and stumbled slightly. His large bulk pushed Kasumi against the kitchen table.

"Tadaima!" Ranko called out. "We're..." The redhead's voice dropped as she and her brother saw the panda end up shoving Kasumi against the table and then when he moved to his right, he 'shoved her' to the ground.

Right in front of his children seeing it.

Ranma's eyes burned with an intensity that frightened Genma. "Now wait a minute, son!" He tried to say before Ranma punched him out of the house, through a wall, and started savagely beating the daylights out of him.

"Save some for me bro!" Ranko snapped, not pleased in the least at what her father had just did to Kasumi.

Kasumi stared at the sight for a bit, not sure of what to do for a moment. It was accident. He didn't mean to hurt me. I should stop them... but then, Ranko hasn't thanked her father yet, has she? She decided she'd let the twins have their 'talk' with their father. There wasn't anything bad about them talking now was there?

---

Genma gasped for breath as he tried to get away from Ranma. The boy wasn't holding his punches back. "It wasn't what it looked like!" Genma said with a sign vehemently, before having it kicked out of his paw.

"I have to say, that form suits you father!" Ranko snapped, giving a kick to the side of the panda. She didn't care that it was a two on one fight. As far as she was concerned, her father didn't have any honor what so ever. This was proper and honorable in her opinion.

For once Genma wasn't at fault, yet he received the worse beating he'd taken in years. Thankfully Ranma knocked him unconscious after five minutes. The boy was angry, but he wouldn't beat on an unconscious opponent.

Ranko also felt angry yet a little satisfied, which surprised her. It also surprised her with how angry her brother had gotten at their father. "You okay?"

Ranma was taking deep breaths to calm himself and turned to regard the redhead evenly. "Yeah. You?"

"Got some kicks in, which was more than I had yesterday," Ranko said, taking a breath in herself. She looked at her brother seriously. "So, does big brother have a thing for Kasumi-san?" she asked with a grin.

Ranma blinked in confusion. "A thing? What are you talking about?"

Ranko giggled. "Oh, never you mind."

"Ranma-kun. Ranko-chan. Are you two hungry?" Kasumi called from the dojo.

Ranma turned and rushed to Kasumi's side. "Are you okay, Kasumi? He didn't hurt you, did he?" His concern for her welfare was more than evident.

"No Ranma-kun, I am fine," Kasumi said in her normal, cheerful manner. "I'm sure he didn't mean it. I had just finished mopping the floor when he I found him in the kitchen trying to take some food. I told him to stop and then... well I think I scared him."

Ranma nodded, taking everything she said at face value. "I'm just glad you're okay."

"Hey bro, I think we should get something to eat now," Ranko said seriously. "We don't have long until Akane and Ukyo have their fight."

Kasumi blinked. "Akane is fighting Ukyo?"

Ranma instantly looked uncomfortable at that. "Uh... she kinda... challenged Ucchan today..."

"Well, at least Akane is trying to improve her skills. She really doesn't learn anything by constantly breaking wood blocks," Kasumi mused. "I hope she'll be okay."

Ranma turned away. Of course Akane wouldn't be okay.

"Come on bro," Ranko said walking back to the dojo. "Food first, then we see how well things play out."

Ranma nodded and turned to Kasumi. "Kasumi... You okay with this?"

"Ranma. There are just some lessons you have to learn on your own," Kasumi said before walking back into the house.

The pigtailed martial artist sighed. Why did it seem like he was the only one concerned about Akane getting in way over her head? He shook his head and rushed into the house, wanting to fill his stomach before heading out.

---

Akane was waiting in the lot where she had mentioned in her challenge to Ukyo. She was waiting for the chef to arrive. She better not stand me up. Akane growled, feeling impatient.

To make matters worse, or so she thought, Ranma casually sat on top of a fence with the same effortless grace he displayed for everything athletic. Ranko stood more demurely under the fence, but the offense was still there regardless.

Ranma did sit casually on the fence, on the outside. Inside he was ready for action, knowing he might have to jump in and stop the fight. Akane was too stubborn for her own good.

Ranko was simply there to watch and right now she saw Akane becoming impatient.

Akane looked at her watch and saw it was exactly five o'clock. Where is she! She almost felt like screaming but knowing Ranko was there made her stop. She wanted to prove to the red head she was a martial artist. She wouldn't use words. She'd just use her fists and this fight.

Barely ten seconds after five Ukyo could be seen rounding a corner, dressed in her usual garb and carrying her battle spatula. She walked purposely towards the lot, but was nowhere near as tense as Akane.

"Glad you made it," Akane growled, getting into a fighting stance.

Ukyo approached Akane and stopped several feet away from her. "I have a business to attend, Akane. You know that."

"Yeah. I do. But I also have something I need from you," Akane responded. "I'll say just so we are clear. Do NOT toy with me. Be serious."

Ukyo's expression hardened slightly. "Have it your way, sugar." With that she assumed her own fighting stance, battle spatula at the ready.

Akane looked at Ukyo for a bit knowing she could use that weapon of hers but she had a lack of experience infighting her. Well, I am committed to this. Best to go it how I always do. She then charged at Ukyo, going on the offensive, throwing a punch at her stomach.

Ukyo dodged to the side, getting a good measure of Akane's reach would be important.

Akane saw it and tried again for a kick yet was avoided again. Does everyone have to play the dodging game with me at first! She asked herself in frustration. She leapt in the air to attempt a jump kick at her enemy.

Ukyo's eyes glinted and she rushed into Akane's defenses, using the flat of her spatula, to deliver a powerful blow to her sternum.

Akane felt that one hard and fell to the ground. She did however get right back up and lunged at Ukyo again, hoping she could get a hit on her before she had time to recover from striking her with that spatula

Ukyo reached into her pocket and threw some exploding powder at Akane's face. It wasn't meant to hurt her, but to distract the Tendo girl while she recovered from her swing and prepared another one.

"Argh!" Akane cried out as she was blinded. She tried to see out of the smoke but it was blinding her. "Where are you?"

Her answer came in the shape of a sweep and another blow from that damn spatula.

Akane got sent further back and out of the smoke. Her form made lines in the dirt as she skidded.

Ukyo, instead of pressing her advantage, turned to see Ranma scowling. She stopped from finishing the fight and gave Akane some time to recover.

Akane got up slowly on her feet and saw Ranma looking, scowling, at Ukyo. She glared back at the chef. "Don't you dare go soft on me now... do you hear me! How am I ever going to learn if you people keep babying me!"

"This won't teach you anything, sugar..." Ukyo said hesitantly.

"It will! It will for me!" Akane shouted. With a cry she went after Ukyo, determined to win this fight, despite how badly her body was protesting.

Ukyo stood her ground, determined to finish this fight as quickly as possible and without hurting Akane. Ranma would be angry enough with her as it was.

Akane went for a one-two punch combo to be followed by a kick. She saw her spatula coming and this time actually was quick enough to get under it. I have her now!

Too bad she misjudged Ukyo's actual strategy. She didn't even see the kick to her temple coming.

The kick connected and that was the last thing Akane felt.

---

Ranko watched for a bit before leaping up over the fence and checking on Akane. "Unconscious, but fine otherwise."

Ukyo looked dejectedly at Ranma, who looked rather upset, and sighed. She really shouldn't have accepted Akane's challenge. "I have to get going, Ranko-chan. Will you take care of her?"

"Sure," Ranko said. Ukyo was leaving but Ranko wanted to say something else. "Ukyo. Don't feel guilty. No matter what my brother may think, I think this was the right thing to do."

Ukyo smiled faintly. "Thanks, sugar." And with that she was gone, walking down the same street she came from.

It was only then that Ranma jumped down from the fence and walked over to his sister and Akane.

"She's fine. Actually showed something today," Ranko said to Ranma.

"She's hurt," Ranma said as he noticed the bruises on the youngest Tendo. "Let's take her to Tofu-sensei's."

"You lead the way. I don't know where that is."

---

"Stupid tomboy," Ranma grumbled as she dragged herself out of the canal. When Akane woke up they were a block from Tofu's clinic. She thanked him for carrying her with a punch that sent him, now her, flying to land right in the middle of the canal.

She was hurt, too. Ranma usually flew a lot more, now it was only a block. Akane was seriously weakened by that fight with Ukyo. "Stupid tomboy..." Ranma grumbled again.

"I didn't ask for your help," Akane grumbled, limping to Tofu's.

"No. But you were asking for a fight," Ranko stated. "And for what?"

"To prove what I am!" Akane snapped at Ranko.

"But to whom? To me?" Ranko replied calmly. "Or to yourself?"

Akane just stared a bit before turning around. "Go back to the dojo. I can get to Dr Tofu's on my own thank you very much."

"Just let the stupid tomboy go!" Ranma cried in annoyance as she wrung her shirt of the excess water.

"Who's stupid!" Akane snapped, wanting to hit Ranma gain but fell to one knee, feeling it give out.

Ranma almost took a step toward her but Ranko was right in front of her, at the moment, sister. She stared at Akane, who was looking back at her. "Can you get up on your own? Are you sure you are strong enough to stand on your own two feet?"

The words she said made Akane burn with anger, yet also there was something else about them, something she wasn't sure what. Slowly, and painfully she got up to her feet. She stared at Ranko for a bit before walking back the way and went into Dr. Tofu's office.

It was only when she had done that Ranko allowed a smile on her face. "She's not as bad as I first thought."

"She's stupid," Ranma groused and gave up, knowing she was wet to the bone again. That also served for two things. First Ranko could see Ranma's body, what with the silk clothes clinging to her like a second skin, was exactly like her own. Second was the fact Ranma didn't wear a bra and anyone that saw her sister would, in a way, be seeing her in a half-naked state.

"Let's just go back to the dojo now," Ranko said. "I think the last thing I would want would be for Kuno to see us both."

Ranma sighed and nodded. "I wouldn't mind kicking his head into the ground, but he'd probably think I'm expressing my love for him."

** To Be Continued...**

_Author's note: Yes I know this chapter is kind of short in comparison to the rest of what we have done, however we thought that this was all that was needed in this chapter. Do not fret though. The fourth chapter will more than make up for the shortness of this one. Trust us._


	4. Chapter 4

**_Disclaimer:_**_ I do not on Ranma. Enough said about that. This story is a collaboration effort between me and Drakuzz. Well we promised you after Chapter 3 that we would have a chapter would make up for it. This is it. We hope that you not only enjoy this chapter but enjoy the surprise twists involved. Without any further ado, just sit back and enjoy yourselves._

**Twin Troubles**

**By David Knight and Drakuzz**

**Chapter Four: The Expected Grandfather, the Unwanted Suitor, and the Magical Ninja Girl**

Kasumi looked up from doing the laundry to hearing the sound of fighting in the morning. That much was normal for the house.

However was more recent was that instead of father and son it was brother and sister. Though in this case it wasn't so much sparing, as an exercise in dodging.

A week had already come and gone at the Tendo dojo. Ranko had apparently settled right in. Better than how Genma, who was still missing, had. She was on good terms with everyone save Akane, who didn't speak to the redhead unless it was necessary.

Akane would have gone to training but she was still waiting for her body to finish healing from her fight with Ukyo. She had plans for after she healed though.

Ranko had taken the time to help Kasumi out with some of the chores around the house. Seeing as how she was guest it was only proper. It took some doing but she was able to get Kasumi to agree to it.

Soun had a sense of relief. It was rather quiet in the dojo; though he missed his friend Genma, he was quite happy that the Master had not shown up the entire week since Ranko had arrived. He was counting the days that this would continue until the Master did arrive again at his door.

As for Ranko, she was still bothered by her brother's refusal to take her seriously. "You'd think a week of this would convince you I'm not some fragile piece of china!"

Ranma smirked as he continued dodging. The week had gone by without incident and he was really enjoying his sparring matches with Ranko. Genma was a more challenging opponent in midair, but the redhead always pushed him to his limits on the ground. He really got a good workout dodging all of her blows as he familiarized himself with her style.

For Ranko, though she wasn't going to admit it to him as his ego was big enough, she had gotten to know that her brother's skills were very impressive. She wanted him to take her seriously, yet still he wouldn't. It frustrated her, but she did get closer to him. Whether it was because he let her or she could get that close she wasn't sure yet.

There was also that move that he had used in their first match. She had thought about it over the last week and knew it was an impressive technique. Wonder if I can actually get him to teach it to me.

Ranma ducked under a palm-strike and tickled Ranko's exposed side, which was infuriating as well. Instead of hitting her, when he did take the offensive, he teased her with tickling. And he knew just where her more ticklish spots were!

Ranko couldn't help but laugh. "Stop that you jerk!" she said in between giggles. "Come on! That isn't right!"

"What was that, little sis?" Ranma asked jokingly as he reached for her side again, using the nickname he came up with for her.

Suddenly she grabbed his hand as it went for it. A smirk was on her face, "This time... I GOT YOU!" She screamed as she managed to throw him over her arm for the first time.

Ranma was taken off-guard, but he did manage to recover in midair and land swiftly with a great display of acrobatics. His style was an aerial one, so he could do impossible feat while in the air. "Nice try, sis."

Ranko kept her smile, proud she had gotten that far. _Keep it going girl and you'll get him to take you seriously soon enough._ With that in mind she went back after her brother.

Soun watched from the table as he saw Nabiki come down and join him and Kasumi. "Where is Akane?"

"I went to her room and she said she wanted to sleep a bit more since school wasn't today," Kasumi said before taking a look at the martial artists sparing in their yard.

Nabiki knew better than that. Akane didn't want to see the twins sparring. But she kept silent about it. Her little sister would hopefully grow up with this. "Ranko's grandfather is supposed to arrive today, isn't he?" She'd done a background check on the man and discovered quite a few things. The middle Tendo sister sure was looking forward to meeting this man.

"Yes he is," Soun said solemnly. "And Saotome is nowhere near us. Perhaps no where in Nerima for sure."

Kasumi looked indifferent. Seeing her father looking at the Saotome Twins she took the moment to get her sister alone. "So what have you learned about Saotome Seijuro?"

Nabiki smirked. "Now what would give you the idea I know anything, Kasumi-chan?"

"I know you Nabiki-chan," Kasumi said with a smile. "You wouldn't meet someone that can make Saotome-san this scared without finding out a bit about him."

Nabiki gave in quickly, never able to keep things from her older sister. "It isn't really that interesting. Ranko's grandfather is a rather traditional man. The weird thing is his school of martial arts comes from China, even if they're full Japanese. The Saotome Clan is well off and very respected in Kyoto, all thanks to Saotome Seijuro."

"I think I can understand why Saotome-san doesn't like his father," Kasumi said.

Nabiki chuckled. "Is scared of him, you mean."

"True," Kasumi said with a slight smile.

The twins finished their sparing, both of them taking deep breaths.

"So," Ranko asked her brother. "Any idea when our father will show up?"

"Never seen 'im so scared before," Ranma admitted. "Maybe after your grandfather leaves?" That was another thing. Ranma still didn't acknowledge their grandfather.

_He's too stubborn for his own good most of the time._ Ranko thought to herself. "He's your grandfather too you know. When are you going to accept that?"

Ranma just gave her one of his confident smirks, as if she was an opponent in one of his many fights. During the course of the week, Ranko had seen her brother fighting off opponents left and right and almost seeming to enjoy being at the center of it all.

She had to deal with that weirdo with the glasses yet again, or rather would have if a certain purple haired girl hadn't bashed him over the head. Her meeting with Shampoo was actually rather nice. _Plus I got a free meal at her restaurant. They got great Chinese food._

And as if to welcome Ranko to Nerima, there was a challenge posed by a pair of martial artists practicing tag team martial arts. Akane didn't take too well the fact that Ranko had to step in and help Ranma in defeating them, because she still was injured.

Both brother and sister fought together for the first time for real. Though Ranma didn't fight seriously against his sister, he did fight seriously _with_ her. The match ended in the twin's victory. It was a rather interesting encounter, not to mention profitable for Nabiki as she had been able to make yen off of it.

That Ranma returned to his 'I don't fight girls' routine was irritating, but at least he trusted her enough during that fight to hold her own.

"So let's see here. Mousse and Kuno are real pains in the neck, Kuno lusts after us, well, us when you are a girl," Ranko listed off her fingers. "His sister is just as wacky only she wants to kill me." She hadn't taken well to her first meeting with the Black Rose. She had used a cheap trick to catch her off guard, blinding her. She tried to kill her with that ribbon.

Ranko was always glad to have her sword with her, as she tore that ribbon to shreds and proceeded to send the gymnast head first into the concrete.

"Don't forget the Amazons," Ranma pointed out. Even if Ranko and Shampoo hit it right off he was still suspicious of what his purple-haired fiancée was planning.

"And Ukyo, who is one of your better prospects if you ever go through with any of father's dumb vows," Ranko said with a slight tease. She did like the okonomiyaki chef though. "Anyone else we are missing or that all of your rivals and fiancées I have to worry about?"

"Those are the regulars," the pigtailed martial artist said. "And any fiancée or crazy martial artist that shows up."

"Well, it has been a bit different living here this last week but I really do like it," Ranko said to her brother. Her look faltered a bit.

"What?" Ranma asked, catching the look.

Ranko shook her head. "Oh nothing. I'm just thinking about my friends in Kyoto. I never even told anyone I was leaving." _Though for some people, it was best to make sure they didn't know._

Ranma shrugged. Having lived on the road for most of his life he didn't get the chance to make many friends. He'd only made two, in fact. One was obsessed with defeating him and the other wanted to marry him. "Write them a letter or something."

"A letter," Ranko rolled her eyes at her brother as she picked up her bag that she had left to the side. "That's way too primitive." she said pulling out a cell phone. "Now this is a girl's best friend."

Ranma blinked. "You carry one of those things around?"

"Why wouldn't I?" Ranko asked as if it was an absurd question. "I've had one with me ever since I was ten. I needed this for every time I went out far, whether it was a school trip or a training outing."

"They haven't called you either, have they?" Ranma asked the obvious.

"Thing is, they probably thing I am on a training journey. This is the month I usually go," Ranko admitted. "And I've been so busy here I just haven't had time to call anyone yet."

"You only go on training trips for one month?" Ranma asked incredulously. Granted, he'd been in Nerima for a while now, but after returning from a training trip that took ten years anything else seemed tame in comparison.

"Not even that long at times," Ranko replied. "I might take additional trips if I feel the need for it, but this month is always one I take for a training trip alone."

Ranma shook his head, still weirded out by how different his sister's life was. What he didn't truly understand was that it was his own life that was out of the norm instead. Nerima just served to mask this reality from him.

Ranko shook her head. "You really have blinders on to the real world, don't you?" Taking in his confused expression she smiled. "Come on, let's go have breakfast. I'm hungry."

-----

Later that morning, Ranma was practicing his katas in the backyard. Since today wasn't a school day he decided to dedicate himself to the most important thing, the Art.

Nabiki lay on the couch reading her manga and munching on some crackers.

Akane was sitting on the floor watching TV, not trying to look at anything but the TV as if just being in thought.

Kasumi was in the kitchen with Ranko, who was helping her out with the dishes. The eldest of the Tendo sisters felt something strange with Ranko's eagerness to help out around the house. Her own sisters hadn't ever offered. Though in Akane's case, that would be a bad thing. she thought to herself.

Soun was sitting by the shoji board, just sitting in thought, almost imagining that Genma was there but knew that he wasn't.

All in all a perfectly normal day, which of course begged to be interrupted. It was just then that the doorbell rang.

Everyone froze at the sound of the doorbell. Ranko would have gone to the door but Kasumi was there first, years of serving as the mother of the household coming into play. She opened the door. "May I help you?"

"Good morning, young lady," a man said calmly. He bore a strong resemblance to Genma, only older. If it wasn't for the fact he wasn't wearing a gi Kasumi would've thought Genma aged thirty years in a week.

"Good morning. You must be Saotome Seijuro," Kasumi said, noticing the resemblance. "Please, come in."

"Such a polite pretty thing," Seijuro responded as he stepped past the gates. "I take it, by your knowledge of who I am, that my granddaughter is here?"

"Yes she is," Kasumi nodded. "I am Tendo Kasumi. A pleasure to meet with you sir. Ranko-chan respects you very much."

"It is my pleasure, Tendo-san. Saotome Seijuro at your service," the older man said. "I hope my granddaughter didn't cause you any trouble. She can be rather impetuous sometimes."

"Far from it," Kasumi assured Seijuro. "She's a very remarkable young girl." By this time they both could see Ranko, who was walking slowly to wards them. She looked at her grandfather in the eyes.

"Are you angry with me, grandfather?" Ranko asked.

"Should I be?" Seijuro returned with a question, as was usual for him.

"I went against your wishes. I went early," Ranko said slowly. "But... I don't regret my choice. I have gotten to know my brother very well this last week. I don't regret that for anything."

Seijuro smiled gently. "As impatient as always, child? You nearly gave old Miyuki a heart attack when you vanished."

"I'd imagine," Ranko sighed, feeling a little relieved.

"And what have you learned about your brother, Ranko-chan?" Seijuro asked, not knowing what to expect of a boy raised under Genma's care. Or rather being afraid of what to expect.

Ranko sighed again. "He's not like father. He has a sense of honor... although, in his own words 'I don't fight girls'."

Seijuro chuckled. "I don't know where your father picked that up. He proudly proclaimed that same phrase even when he lived under my roof."

"Regardless, he's an extremely skilled martial artist, but that's all he's focused on," Ranko added.

Seijuro sighed. "I'd like to meet with him, Ranko-chan."

"Of course," Ranko nodded. _Maybe grandfather may change things._

"Ranma is inside the house with the rest of my family. Please," Kasumi said, showing Seijuro in, with Ranko right beside him.

Seijuro nodded, following the hostess with a steady pace.

When they walked into the den, Soun was the first to noticed the elder Saotome. He at once bowed out of respect. "Saotome-san. You honor my home with your presence."

Seijuro nodded to Soun in greeting. While he didn't like the man he was at least respectful. "Tendo-san. It is good to see you in good health." He then turned to Ranma, the boy was easy to recognize, who was sitting down casually and staring at him. Seijuro crossed his arms over his chest waiting for Ranma to acknowledge him, yet his grandson didn't in any way do so.

Ranma for his part was not going to treat this new guy any differently than he treated the others. His great likeness with Genma didn't help matters.

Ranko stood there, tapping her foot, wondering when her brother would say hello. Yes Grandfather looks somewhat like Father, but he sure as hell isn't father.

As the stalemate continued Nabiki smirked in amusement. It seemed like stubbornness was a Saotome trademark. She had yet to meet a Saotome that wasn't so strong-headed.

Seijuro finally broke the gaze with his grandson and turned to Ranko. It wasn't even necessary to speak, Ranko knew him so well she could clearly see him asking why her brother wouldn't greet him respectfully. Even if he was Genma's son he should at the very least be a little afraid of him, like his father.

"Father has done a lot more than we thought to him over the years," Ranko said. "To name one example, he engaged my brother to about at least half a dozen girls."

"I know of these... arrangements, granddaughter," Seijuro returned and turned to see Ranma again. "But why won't my own grandson greet me with the respect his elders are due?"

Ranma inwardly smirked at that. Considering the only elders he had contact with were Happosai, Cologne and the laddle lady Seijuro was happy the pigtailed martial artist didn't outright decide to ignore him.

"He um... he um..." Ranko frowned, not even sure how to put it into the right context.

"Don't sweat it, sis," Ranma said. "If the old man wants to say something he can say it to me."

Seijuro frowned at the open challenge. "I see your father spoke nothing of me."

Both Saotome men resumed glaring at each other.

Ranko let out a sigh. _Oh this is going to take a while._

-----

Twenty minutes later and there hadn't really been any progress. Ranma had gone out of the room. Seijuro looked over at Ranko who looked back, both knowing what the other were to say.

Ranko left the house and went to the koi pond, finding her brother sitting there. "Yen for your thoughts?"

Ranma shrugged. "Not worth that much."

"I think they are," Ranko said plopping down beside him. "... Why?"

Ranma didn't have to ask what Ranko was talking about. He simply turned to staring at the water of the pond. A place he spent an inordinately high amount of time in. "He can't just demand respect, sis. That's what my old man does."

"He's an elder, you are supposed to respect them," Ranko said, though she lowered her head. "But that's what I was taught. Though I've come to learn that respect is earned... so I am kinda divided on this." She looked at Ranma. "But yeah, I understand what you are getting at."

The pigtailed martial artist looked up into his sister's eyes. "You like him, dontcha?"

"I love him," Ranko said, and Ranma could feel the emotion behind that declaration. There was a warmth and a respect that he couldn't quite place. "He's done so much more for me than our father. So much more."

"Yeah... well, he didn't do nothing for me," Ranma said quietly.

"Like I said, he tried to find you, but father was ahead of him," Ranko replied. "It's not an excuse. It's just a fact. I wish he had gotten to you, even if it was just before you fell into that cursed spring."

Ranma shrugged. He really wished he didn't have the curse, but wishing wouldn't make it come true. "I'm just glad... you didn't stay with us."

"I think that makes two of us. I could just imagine, me falling into a spring that made me into a boy if I was with you," Ranko said, giving off a shiver.

Ranma chuckled. "You'd walk funny as a guy." It felt good to have his sister around; he definitely would miss her when she was taken away. Everything he grew to like was always taken away.

The Art was his only life companion.

"Grandfather is old-fashioned but like I said, I understand where you are coming from," Ranko said, getting up. "You don't mind if I let him know that do you?"

Ranma waved it off. "Go ahead."

-----

Kasumi pouring Seijuro and her father some tea when Ranko went over to her grandfather and sat down by her grandfather. Soun and Kasumi took a moment to leave them alone. Ranko looked at Seijuro. "You can't demand respect from my brother. It won't work that way."

"It speaks ill of him that he disrespects his elders as he does, Ranko-chan," Seijuro said gravely, still cross that Ranma would greet him in such a cavalier manner.

"Maybe so, but he may also have reason to be that way if some of the elders he's been exposed to are like my father," Ranko replied.

"Are you suggesting his behavior today was the result of bad experiences?" Seijuro asked, trying to calm down and see things logically. He should've expected Ranma's reaction to him, but he was taken aback anyway.

"He has to deal with a LOT of headaches," Ranko said. "There are girls that want to marry him, boys that want to kill him. I seen him interact with many older people, but from our talk, I have to believe there are some elders that don't deserve to be respected in anyway at all."

"Among them Happosai, no doubt," Seijuro mussed, wondering when Genma's master in martial arts would make an appearance. "And your perceptions on the Tendos?" He asked, wondering what the girls were like. It was also a sort of test, to see how well Ranko got a hold of Soun's character.

"The youngest daughter Akane is very short tempered and thinks too highly of her skills," She frowned a bit. "She was also constantly bashing my brother over the head with a mallet whenever he said something wrong. I've since put a stop to that. I can't believe they engaged my brother to her considering that. Then there's Nabiki who happens to be a mercenary of sorts, but she supports this family through it. I dare say this place could have fallen apart long ago... if I didn't know Kasumi. Now Kasumi is the kindest, selfless person I have ever seen. Since her mother died she took up her position, but what has angered me is that no one has bothered to help her out around the house, yet she says she doesn't mind. But I, I just don't think that at all."

Seijuro nodded, frowning at the thought of Soun allowing his daughters to grow up like this.

"I personally like Kasumi the most out of them all and I have been trying to help her around the house," Ranko said. "I'll admit this is a rather weird town, but I like it here very much."

"And Ranma does nothing?" The old man asked, knowing Genma wouldn't even if forced to.

"I... I am not sure," Ranko said honestly. She didn't see her brother helping out around the house, but considering who he was, it wasn't impossible.

Seijuro took Ranko's uncertainty for denial and sighed. It seemed like Genma had managed to spoil Ranma's upbringing completely. "What of Tendo Soun, granddaughter?"

"He does nothing to help as far as I have seen," Ranko answered.

"I see..." The old man said thoughtfully. "And you, granddaughter? Do you wish to remain here? Or would you prefer to return to Kyoto?"

Ranko stared at her grandfather for the longest while before answering. "I know what you expect of me. To continue my studies, to continue to follow all that I have been taught, to continue being with my friends there...but I can't." She looked him in the eyes. "I wish to stay here with my brother."

"Are you willing to abandon all, just so you can be with a brother you haven't seen in more than ten years?" Seijuro asked neutrally.

"It's because, I haven't been with him for that long and been with him for such a short time, that I know this is where I need to be," Ranko said with finality.

Seijuro nodded gravely. "I see you are abandoning your responsibilities." When he saw Ranko start to cringe, however, he gave her a smile. "Just like I expected of you, Ranko-chan. Nothing is more important than family." While Saotome Seijuro was a traditional man, he also valued family above all else. That was why he didn't disown Genma, even knowing all that he did, and that was why Seijuro would support Ranko's decision now.

"You... you aren't angry with me?" Ranko asked wide eyed.

Seijuro adjusted his glasses and they glinted with the light. "Ranko-chan, I expected you to make this decision. That you took it even knowing I wouldn't approve... I'm proud to call you a Saotome."

"Grandfather!" Ranko cried as she decided to hug him, not caring if it was proper or not.

Seijuro smiled warmly and wrapped his arms around the little redhead. "I must now place a great burden on your shoulders, Ranko-chan. I hesitate to do so, but you proved to me today that you're up to the task."

Ranko froze, letting go of him as she was not sure what that meant but she looked at her Grandfather attentively. "What is it?"

Seijuro sat back and stared down at the girl. "Your brother, Ranko-chan. He will not listen to me, that much is obvious. It is upon your shoulders that this burden must fall."

Ranko relaxed then. "Do not worry grandfather. I will get him to be able to speak to you, not to mention get him to take me seriously. I swear it."

Seijuro smiled gently. "But don't forget to enjoy your time with him, Ranko-chan."

"I won't."

----

A few hours had passed and Seijuro had left the dojo. Ranko had a smile on her face as she and her brother had another sparing match. They hadn't had two in one day before, but Ranko felt like having a fight with her brother. She was incredibly happy.

Ranma, for his part, didn't really mind the extra practice. It gave him something to do aside from katas since Genma still hadn't returned from whichever hole he dug himself into.

"I am hoping you didn't think you were going to get rid of me after just a weak bro," Ranko smirked, get closer to him with each attack.

"Of course not, shorty. I just... Whoa! Nice try!" Ranma congratulated as he barely managed to avoid a sweep. She was definitely his sister, she learned very fast.

"Yeah well! Don't ever think you are getting rid of me. There isn't a person in the world that is going to separate us again."

That of course was when disaster had to strike.

"Oh Ranko-chan! I've come for you my love!"

Ranko paled considerably. "Oh no... no no no NO! How did HE find me here!"

Ranma stopped in mid-motion and turned to the voice in a defensive position.

The high pitched and almost effeminate voice came from an equally effeminate man wearing expensive looking clothes. He had short black hair and eyes which held an insanity that rivaled that of a Kuno's. Behind him were twelve well built men wearing black suits.

"I, Yamagata Mizuki, the Prince of Kyoto, have at last come to finally make you my bride, Saotome Ranko," he said with a smug smile on his face.

The look on Ranko's face was utter disgust. "Mizuki... how did you find me?"

"I followed your grandfather, my love," Mizuki drooled. "I have been so lonely with you gone. Now come with me to Kyoto so we can be wed and our families joined..."

"HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO SMASH YOUR FACE INTO THE GROUND FOR YOU TO LEARN NO MEANS NO!" Ranko screamed, the volume of her disgust showing.

"Me thinks you protest too much," the rich boy said, totally ignoring Ranko's feelings.

Ranma tried to keep it in. He really did, for he knew how Ranko felt. But he just couldn't! "BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" To actually see someone going through what he did on a daily basis was too hilarious.

"What is so funny, peasant?" Mizuki asked. "Away with you so I may take my bride home."

"I am not your bride!" Ranko snapped.

Ranma was still snickering a little, though the glare Ranko gave him silenced him somewhat, and turned to regard Mizuki. "Look, man. Just leave my sister alone and beat it."

Mizuki blinked. "Sister. Ridiculous! My fair Ranko-chan couldn't be related to you."

"He's my twin brother you moron!" Ranko roared.

Mizuki blinked again and stared back and forth between them before he reached a conclusion. "Aha ha! I see! You are some foul sorcerer or at least a man who wants my beloved Ranko-chan to himself! Well I won't have it!" He drew out his katana. "I will set her free from your grasp!"

"It's Kuno all over again," Ranma muttered to himself.

"Yes, you said it," Ranko added.

"Though it pains me to fight, I must to ensure the lovely Ranko becomes my bride by any means necessary," Mizuki said. "Attack!"

The dozen men in black pounced upon both of the martial artists, each of them having deal with six of them.

"This is a new low even for you Mizuki!" Ranko snapped as she fought against the six men, though with them surrounding her it wasn't exactly easy. The fact they had clubs or brass knuckles didn't help either.

Ranma was having a much easier time of it, used to big brawls against morons like Ryoga and Mousse. And unlike in his fights with Ranko, he was hitting back. "You're going to regret this, man!"

Mizuki laughed as raised his sword up. He saw some of his men noticing him and decided to move as he swung his sword. With a scream, he swung down.

Before Ranko and Ranma could even realize it, a blade of chi came from the sword, and it struck Ranma.

By now the entire Tendo family was watching the fight going on outside, and they exited the house just in time to see Ranma crash through the outer wall as a result of the chi attack.

"Ranma-kun!" Kasumi cried out.

"Ranma!" Ranko screamed out in shock, before getting hit in the back of the head for her momentary lapse by one of the other men. The other five then went to work on her before Mizuki screamed at them.

"You fools! That's my Ranko-chan! You aren't supposed to hurt her!"

"You can't channel chi! You're too weak!" Ranko growled, trying to get herself free but she was having a hard time. For some reason, these men felt stronger than they should have. "And what is the deal with your thugs?"

Mizuki gave off an arrogant laugh. "The world of magic is so grand, is it not? This magical sword allows me to attack my enemies from a distance, bracers for my hired men to become stronger," he had pulled out of his bag a golden necklace, "and something for you."

"What... what is that?" Ranko said, with a small bit of fear in her voice.

"Will you become my wife?"

Ranko rolled her eyes at him. "Do I even have to answer that?"

Mizuki sighed. "I wished to have you as you are... but at least with this you will be mine forever. The sorcerer's magic will be dispelled and you will find yourself, loving me as you always have."

That made Ranko redouble her efforts at getting free but they were still not good enough. _These guys are really strong with those bracers Mizuki gave them. I have to find a way out of this fast!_

Just then Ranma emerged from the debris of the wall and glared at Mizuki. "You're going down hard! MOUKO TAKABISHA!" He cried, launching his own chi blast at Mizuki.

"What!" Mizuki gasped, putting out his other hand in defense and felt himself being pushed backwards. He fell back into his other men, who caught him.

Yet everyone stared as Ranma's chi attack was being blocked by a force of some sort that was emanating from Mizuki's hand. Finally the blast stopped. "Oh thank the Kami." he praised. "He has blessed me on this day by inspiring me to bring an arsenal of magical items to use to obtain the lovely Ranko as my bride."

"Like hell you will!" Ranko snapped, trying to get free from her captors. She was annoyed at how strong they were. "Ranma, help me out here!" _Damn it! I can't believe I ended up in situation like this!Mizuki actually came up with a GOOD plan!_

Ranma didn't allow the fact that his chi blast didn't down his sister's unwanted suitor affect him and rushed towards her.

"Stop him!" Mizuki ordered the men holding him up to stop Ranma after he had gotten up on his feet.

Ranma paid them no mind as he started beating his way through them. They were strong, but Ryoga was stronger and a lot more skilled.

In fact Ranma would have gotten through them and to Ranko if it wasn't for someone breaking through the wall and shouting, "Where am I now!"

The shout made Ranma stop for a moment. A moment that Mizuki saw and decided now was the time to act, to get the necklace on Ranko. When he got close to her, his image of her in his Mother's wedding dress flashed before his eyes. He was paying more attention to the vision than the real girl as he reached to drop the necklace over her head.

He didn't expect someone else to tackle him.

"Who dares!" Mizuki roared as he put his hand on the throat of his assailant. It was then he realized two things.

One, it was a very beautiful girl.

Two, he had just put the hand with the necklace around her throat. A necklace that was now attached to her.

"People that can still have happiness, deserve to have it," a defiant Tendo Kasumi said to Mizuki.

Ranma froze at the sight. "Kasumi!" He cried in shock. Kasumi wasn't supposed to be caught in the chaos.

"Kasumi?" Akane gasped, staring at what her elder sister had just done.

Nabiki took a step towards her older sister, unsure what to do. She always remained aloof and detached from the goings on in Nerima... But this time Kasumi was at the center of events.

Ranma's eyes slowly narrowed to tiny slits, his demeanor changing drastically from his usual bravado in fighting to a silent and unemotional determination.

Ranko closed her eyes, her own mentality almost the same as her brothers._ I don't care now... it ends._ She had always held back with Mizuki, simply because he wasn't capable of doing anything to warrant her need to go all out.

He just gave her a reason, she decided as she let her battle aura show, using her chi to enhance herself. She took advantage of surprise the men that were holding her had with the situation. It wasn't much, but it was enough for her to get free, finally. Now she was back to fighting six against one. Since she wasn't holding back, it was much more even.

Something Mizuki noticed as he started walking backwards. His eyes caught sight of Ranma and his expression. "Now wait. This isn't my fault. I didn't mean for that peasant girl to get involved. Really, I..." he found himself suddenly unable to go any further. As if he had backed into something.

He slowly turned back to find himself leaning against a rather tall and well built boy, who was looking down at him menacingly.

Ryoga didn't really know what was happening. He barely noticed being in the Tendo Dojo. What he did notice, however, was that this person had done something to Kasumi. The nicest girl in the world... Maybe even nicer than Akane.

"Stay out of this, pig-boy. He's mine!" Ranma cried as he flipped over one of the men attacking him. When he landed the guy did as well, completely unconscious.

"It tingles..." Kasumi muttered, her hand over her chest as she started to get up.

"Kasumi? Are you alright? You aren't in love with that pervert are you?" Akane asked.

"No. No I am not… but I… I feel" Kasumi gasped, her heart was pumping faster and faster now and she couldn't understand why. Every part of her was feeling more and more alive. She put her hand to her head and felt a static shock. In fact she felt like her hair was standing on end now.

Ranma saw this and was torn between going to Kasumi's aid and ripping into Mizuki. In the end he went for Kasumi, seeking to take the collar off.

Ryoga, on the other hand, placed one strong hand on Mizuki's shoulder, quite menacingly.

"What...what's happening?" Kasumi asked, afraid for her life. She looked at her family who saw her fear filled eyes.

Their looks of terror were the last things she saw.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Everyone turned to Kasumi as she screamed in pain. The young woman was now, to their shock and horror, engulfed in a maelstrom of lightning.

"This... this isn't what the merchant told me the necklace would do," Mizuki muttered. "But at least my poor Ranko isn't harmed at all."

"KASUMI!" Ranma cried as he rushed into the lightning, ignoring the pain as he reached for the slightly older girl.

Ryoga's grip slackened on Mizuki as he stared in shock at Ranma actually lightening up like a Christmas tree to take a hold of Kasumi.

Ranma tried to get to her but shock was too great as he ended getting blasted away. He would have gone flying rather far if Ranko hadn't jumped in the way to get him.

"You still with us?" Ranko asked her brother.

The pigtailed boy was smoking, yet his eyes remained focused on Kasumi's body under all that lightning. If he couldn't get to her...

Mizuki saw that his men were all defeated now. However the boy holding him was not holding on as tight. Slipping out of his jacket, he got out of Ryoga's grip and was going to make a break for it.

Had he not ended running right into Soun's fist.

"How dare..." the rich boy started to say until Soun hauled him up by the throat and kept him in a vice grip. He fixed Mizuki with a look that he had look had not given anyone since his wife had died.

"If my daughter dies, I will kill you."

"What is that necklace, Mizuki?" Ranko demanded. "I can't believe you'd try to kill me in order to keep me from falling in love with someone else."

"Kill you! I'd never harm you at all Ranko-chan!" Mizuki defended himself. "That necklace I got from a man well versed in ancient artifacts. He told me, he told me it would release a person's hidden feelings and transform them into something special. I just knew if I got that on you, Ranko-chan, you'd shower me with love."

"You idiot!" Ranko snarled. "I don't HAVE any love for you! If you had put that on me and I had survived, I probably would have wanted to act on some of my daydreams and tried to KILL you!"

It was only then that Ryoga actually got a good look at Ranko and Ranma standing side by side. His eyes widened in shock. "RANMA! What's going on!"

Before anyone could say anything, there was explosion as a wave of air just washed over them all. Smoke billowed from the place Kasumi had been, but it was beginning to drift away.

Akane and Nabiki were closest to where Kasumi had been. As the smoke cleared they saw a form within it. They both felt relieved for that much.

However when the smoke totally cleared, what they saw was totally unexpected.

A woman with brown hair that went down past her waist, looking full of life, stood in Kasumi's place. Two belts crossed bandolier-like across her waist, securing to her hips ankle-length sections of cloth covering the lateral part of her legs. From the blue bikini-like bottoms, belts secured steel-grey leggings that hugged her like a second skin from mid-thigh down into her low-heeled, black shoes. Around her ankles were scrunched up warmers, completing her look. Black fingerless gloves encased slim arms up to the elbows, from which emerged a second, inner sleeve of steel grey fastened around her arms by plain black armbands.

As for the face, a featureless steel half-mask covered her face from the nose down; blue encased her upper torso from the neck down to her bustline, leaving her shoulders bare. The halter-like top wasn't wholly blue; the left side was steel grey in color. Around her neck was a black choker with a blue crystal spade in the center.

But it was her eyes that everyone noticed.

The Nerima residents could do nothing but stare in shock. This... certainly didn't look like the Kasumi they all knew.

"K... Kasumi?" Soun asked in disbelief. So great was his shock that he let go of Mizuki who grabbed his sword and took off as fast as he could.

Kasumi's eyes narrowed anger and she took off after Mizuki with a speed no one would have believed of Kasumi.

"Wait, Kasumi!" Ranma cried as he gave chase. Kasumi was moving fast, but Ranma was still faster.

"Hey, wait a minute brother!" Ranko called out, running after him and Kasumi.

"What is going on here?" Ryoga asked, more confused than ever over what happened.

Soun didn't say anything as he went after them too.

Akane shook her head. "It's a long story Ryoga. Real long but we don't have time right now. We gotta get to Kasumi!"

Nabiki rushed into the house, already planning on ways to keep up on what was going on. She wasn't a martial arts freak like the rest, but she definitely wasn't helpless.

----

Mizuki felt like the devil was after him. This place wasn't Kyoto. There were just too many strange things happening all at once. "At least I can try again to capture my dear Ranko. I still have other magical items and my sword... OUGH!"

A sharp pain fell right into his back as he impacted against a parked car. His sword was on the ground. He went to pick it up but a hand stomped hard on it, grinding it into the ground.

"You don't deserve a sword like this," Kasumi said coolly as she picked up the katana. Unsheathing it, she looked at it admiringly. "You know I have to thank you."

"Thank...me?" Mizuki asked.

"This feeling in me, its beyond anything I have experienced," Kasumi said, still looking at the sword.

Mizuki breathed a sigh of relief and smiled. "Well then you are welcome. Now if you can let me go and hand me back my sword I can..." A second later, blood trailed down his cheek from a shallow cut. He hadn't even seen her move.

"I've thanked you," Kasumi said coldly, not noticing the blood. "Now I'm going to ensure you never ruin anyone's happiness again."

"Wh...what do you mean?" Mizuki asked, suddenly very afraid.

Kasumi readied her blade. "Take a guess."

"Kasumi! Don't do it!" Ranma shouted as he landed softly a few feet away. He didn't know how affected Kasumi was by that magical necklace, but he was sure she'd later regret doing something like this.

"Why, Ranma-kun?" Kasumi asked casually. "Look at him. He's a pathetic excuse for a man who thinks he can buy the world. He's worse than Kuno. We'd all be better off he was dead."

"Stop her please!" Mizuki pleased with Ranma. "Name your price! I'll give you anything..." He suddenly saw hair falling down to the ground and realized that Kasumi had swung her sword again, taking a bit off the top of his own hair.

"You see what I mean," Kasumi said, her eyes narrowed at Mizuki. "He thinks he can weasel his way out of anything. Disgusting fool. It makes me want to throw up."

"This isn't you, Kasumi," Ranma said as he slowly started to prepare himself for action. She was out of control and he might have to physically restrain her.

"Isn't me? Isn't me?" Kasumi asked, turning her attention to Ranma for a moment. "Let me tell you something, Ranma-kun. The Tendo Kasumi you've known has been a lie. She's nothing more than a mask. I can't tell you what I feel like now."

_Now's my chance!_ Mizuki decided that he would bolt for it.

What he got was Kasumi's elbow, sending him head first through a glass window of a car.

"Idiot." Kasumi said in disgust. "Did he really think I wasn't listening to his every move while I was talking to you?" She shook her head. "And now there's a mess. Well, I guess I should settle this." She put one hand to Mizuki's neck. "Let's hear a nice cracking sound, shall we?" She was about to put her other hand there but then she felt someone had just grabbed her wrist. "Let go."

Ranma didn't wait to see what would happen between Ranko and Kasumi. With the same unbelievable speed he'd been gifted with, and enhanced through training, he rushed Kasumi and tried to remove the choker.

"Don't you dare!" Kasumi screeched, letting go of Mizuki's neck and using that free hand to punch Ranma in the gut.

To Ranko's shock, her brother reeled backwards. "Kasumi, what are you---AH!" Ranko shrieked as a shock ran through her. Trying to find the source, she noticed that lightning wrapped around her hand on Kasumi's wrist.

"I like you a lot Ranko-chan, but I am not going back!" Kasumi declared, kicking Ranko to the ground. She immediately blocked Ranma's second attempt to go for the choker around her neck. "Think I'm unprepared, Ranma-kun? I've seen you fight enough to know how fast you come back to a fight."

Ranma grit his teeth. Fighting Kasumi was the last thing he wanted to do. The fact that he was being careful not to hurt her at all, while she wasn't holding back her punches, wasn't helping. "Calm down, Kasumi-chan!"

"Calm down! Calm down!" Kasumi mocked, though under her mask, Ranma could see her smiling. "For the first time in ten years I feel free! Can you even imagine how **_great_** that feels for me!"

Ranma grimaced slightly as he was put on the defensive. "... Yes..." He answered in barely a whisper.

"Kasumi!" Akane cried out as she arrived with Ryoga but both stopped at scene.

"Be careful..."

"Ranko?" Akane asked, seeing the red head getting up slowly, her hair frazzled. "Are you alright?"

"Just peachy," Ranko groaned as she got to her feet. "I definitely wasn't expecting her to try to shock me with electricity."

"Electricity..." Akane repeated, still in shock. She stared back at the sight of Kasumi fighting Ranma, with Kasumi being on the offensive.

Ranma remained fighting, mostly dodging to avoid hurting Kasumi, as he tried to reason with her. He wasn't very good at talking, though. "Come on, Kasumi-chan. I know how you feel but this is not going to work."

"No you don't know how I feel! No one can possibly know how I feel!" Kasumi snarled.

"Kasumi! Please stop! You don't know what you are saying!" Akane shouted to her.

"Shut up Akane! You're such a spoiled brat you know that!" Kasumi sneered. She took the shocked look Akane had in stride. "It's something I should have said to you before. How could have been so stupid with my life!" Taking advantage of her distraction, Ranma tackled her and pinned her to the ground.

"This has to stop, Kasumi-chan," Ranma said.

Kasumi pulled a hand free, enough to remove her face mask. "Oh I don't know... I think we should start." In a move that surprised everyone, she grabbed Ranma's head, brought it down...

And proceeded to kiss him on the lips.

Ranma froze in shock, taken completely off-guard; his pigtail stood on end.

Kasumi took that moment to get Ranma off her. She had a wide smile on her face as she stood up, looking at everyone with glee. "You people... you people don't know me at all."

"You... you kissed him..." Akane gasped in shock.

"And you would too if you knew how good man he was! But you are too stupid to realize how good he is!" Kasumi snapped, showing anger freely. "I've loathed you for how you've treated him. Despised it. Just as much as my life! What did I do with this life! I became a housewife! A housewife with no time to do anything. A housewife since I was nine! NINE! Nine year old girls should have to play with dolls! I had to clean the kitchen!"

Akane didn't know what to say, staring at her changed sister.

"But you all didn't understand. No. You did everything the way you wanted, and didn't care about poor little Kasumi. I became your slave! 'Kasumi cook dinner. Kasumi do the laundry! Kasumi be my mother!" The young woman cried out, every word she said touched with bitterness and anger. "You know when I was alone, I despised you all for having lives! Having lives I could only dream of having! But I couldn't because someone had to be a mom! But then I couldn't have one. Because I had to do everything! EVERYTHING! Why! Why did I have to have that kind of life! Why couldn't you do anything Akane-chan! Or Nabiki! You're my sisters! Or even my own father! Why didn't you do something!"

"I have no excuse."

Everyone turned to see Soun walking toward Kasumi. He stood no more than foot from her, looking her in the eyes. "Ten years ago, I fell apart when Kimiko died. I just couldn't imagine how my life could be without my wife. And so I went on living, becoming a man that had forgotten his place as a father." He took her hand with the katana and placed it at his throat. "If you want to kill someone for a crime, then kill me for I have failed you as a father and Kimiko as a husband that should have been able to tend to his children. Please. Do what you must."

Kasumi stared at her father for a long while. She looked him over, from his posture to his eyes. Yet once she had, she froze. The man she saw before was not the father she had known these last ten years. Rather, it was the man she had wished back for so very long. A man she thought had been buried with her mother. "Da...daddy..." she asked in an uncertain and shaky voice.

Soun's only response was silence yet the look in his eyes told Kasumi what she needed to know.

The sword fell from Kasumi's hands, and then she rushed to her father, embracing him tightly. "DADDY!" she cried out as tears fell down her face like rivers. She fell to her knee with Soun going down with her..

Ranma sighed in relief and some disappointment. He tried to get Kasumi to reason with him, with no success, and Soun managed it in less than two minutes.

Akane just stared at the sight before her. My father... he just offered up his life... just like that... She couldn't believe it. Even if Kasumi was his own daughter, she couldn't believe how willing her father was to give his life away.

Ranko let out a sigh of relief when she checked up on Mizuki. "The bastard is still alive, though we'll have to do something for the owner of this car." She noticed Ryoga then. "Oh hi. I'm Saotome Ranko, Ranma's twin sister. Are you a friend of his?"

Ryoga was still too busy making sense of the events of the day to really acknowledge Ranko. Even as the oldest of Ranma's rivals he was overwhelmed with today's surprises, and it had only been an hour! "Uh... hi..."

Ranma, on the other hand, walked over to Kasumi and knelt next to her and Soun. "You okay, Kasumi-chan?"

"I... am...happy..." Kasumi said between tears, looking at her father. "Daddy... daddy are you going to stay this time?"

Soun pulled his daughter in to a tighter grip. "I promise you, I won't let you go my daughter."

Kasumi sighed contentedly hearing that. She looked up at Ranma, a smile on her lips. "So, how did it taste?"

"Urk!" Ranma offered intelligently and nervously turned to the fuming Akane, sure she would find a way to blame this on him.

"Could we please find a way to take that necklace off?" Akane growled. "I'd like my sister back."

"You do have her back," Ranko said, getting a confused look from Akane. "Remember what Mizuki said. About how it releases the inner self."

"But Kasumi isn't like this!" Akane argued. "She's a saint!"

Kasumi gave a bitter laugh. "A saint I am not. A fraud is what I was. The only reason I never dropped dead from the days work was because I used a lot of chi to keep myself going every day and used what I had left to keep myself calm and not go insane."

Ranma grimaced at that, since he'd suspected it some time ago but had done nothing about it, except help with a chore here and there when no one was looking. "I'm sorry, Kasumi-chan..." While the words were soft, Ranma was not good at apologizing, they reached Kasumi's ears clearly.

Kasumi closed her eyes. A light shone from her choker, blinding everyone for a moment. When it faded, they saw Kasumi was back to the way she was, the necklace now around her neck instead of the choker. "... Apology accepted, Ranma-kun."

"Kasumi," Soun said as he and Kasumi got up.

Kasumi stared at everyone and saw Mizuki and the harm she had inflicted. Akane expected Kasumi to say it wasn't her fault, and Akane would say that she was right and it wasn't.

"... I guess, this is the price you pay for burying your heart," Kasumi said sadly.

_What?_ Akane gasped. She wasn't expecting that. At all.

"Can we go home please?" Kasumi asked of her father.

"Of course," Soun said.

Ranma was tempted to reach for the necklace and pull Kasumi free of it, but didn't chance it right now. Kasumi became normal again, why ruin that?

"Um, before we go," Ranko said to everyone as she got up from where Mizuki was laying. "We really got to decide what we are going to do about the rich fool and the car with the busted window."

Akane huffed. "What's difficult about it? It's all that pervert's fault. He should pay for all the damages!"

Ranma, for once, didn't argue with Akane. "We always let them pick themselves up anyway. The same with pig-boy every time I kick his butt."

Ryoga bristled at that. "RANMA!"

"Will you stop teasing him!" Akane growled. "Honestly!"

"I don't get it. Why do you call him a pig-boy?" Ranko asked her brother as she didn't get the joke. "I mean the last thing he looks like is a pig."

"You see, even Ranko agrees with me!" Akane snapped, enjoying the moment. Then she realized that she just agreed with Ranko.

Ryoga was about to thank Ranko, even if he still didn't know who she was, when Ranma decided to open his mouth. "You're right, sis. Ryoga is even stupider than a pig, anyway."

"RANMA! PREPARE TO DIE!" Ryoga shouted his usual battle cry and launched himself at Ranma, all according to the latter's plan. The pigtailed martial artist really needed a good fight.

"Oh for the love of..." Akane groaned.

"Let them," Kasumi said softly. "Just so long as they don't fight inside the house."

"They fight in the house?" Ranko asked.

"You wouldn't believe the walls I have to rebuild after people go through them," Kasumi said with a slight smirk.

Ranko stared then shook her head. "Things are even weirder than I thought." Sighing, she went to write a note and leave Mizuki in the car. She found paper and pen in the car's back seat. As for how she left him in the car, she pushed the rest of him through the broken window. He ended up in the back seat of the car.. "I think this will be just punishment enough. At the very least he'll be held over night in jail."

"If he comes again, he'll get much worse," Soun said with conviction. "Let's go home now." He walked with Kasumi, with Akane staring after him.

"Something bothering you?" Ranko asked.

"I...don't know..." Akane said truthfully.

-----

Ranma sat on the roof that night. After a very long and fun fight with Ryoga, and winning of course, he'd retreated to his place under the bridge to think. He'd even missed dinner, he stayed there for so long, and upon returning to the dojo he went to the roof without telling the others he was home.

He brushed his lips slowly with his fingers, lost in his thoughts about the events of the day and what they led to.

Namely the kiss Kasumi gave him.

It felt... possessive and longing, like something Shampoo and Ukyo would attempt, but the fact that it was Kasumi of all people... Ranma knew Kasumi hid her feelings before, but he had no idea how much.

"Ranma-kun?"

Ranma stiffened at the voice and snapped his hand away from his mouth. "Yeah?"

"Are you alright?" Kasumi asked him, climbing up a ladder to get on to the roof. She wasn't like him. She couldn't just leap up on to the top.

"Why do you ask?" Ranma asked trying to sound casual, but even then there was a slight nervousness in his voice.

"Because I am worried about you," Kasumi replied. "Can't I worry?"

"You shouldn't' worry about me, Kasumi..." Ranma said. Left unsaid was, however, that Kasumi didn't deserve to worry about anything.

"Can I sit down by you?" He nodded and she took a seat beside him. "There's no way I can take back what has happened today. And yet I am asking myself if I even want to. I've had these feelings bottled up for so long, so hard that I never thought they'd come up...and now..."

Ranma's eyes widened and he turned to look at Kasumi as if she had grown a second head. "Feelings!" He couldn't really tell which kinds of feelings, though. Was she angry? Mad? She had a right to be.

But...

There was the possibility... That she was speaking of that kiss?

"Everything I said when I... was changed," Kasumi started to say, "the words could have been better, perhaps even left unsaid. But they were true."

"Why didn't you say anything before?" Ranma asked softly and turned to stare at his hands. "I could help..."

"Could you have helped me ten years ago?" Kasumi asked. "I was nine years old. I should have been playing with dolls. But as the eldest daughter, I had a duty to perform as our culture demands." She bowed her head then. "So I gave up on my life, and my dreams, did just enough in school tograduate a little above average. I didn't study at all. I was too busy. Busy being a mother and a housewife."

"Kasumi... is it really so bad? Duty..." Ranma trailed off, unsure of why Kasumi found it so hard. He had been taken from his mother when he was a toddler still, trained under the most insane and irresponsible of martial arts masters and found in an unattainable position. All because of duty, and he didn't think if it was worth it or not. It just was.

"Ranma, what is your dream?"

"Huh?" Ranma asked taken off-guard.

"Your dream," Kasumi repeated. "It's been so long, that I don't have a dream any more... I can't even remember what I used to dream I would become." She looked into his eyes. "What do you dream of achieving or becoming?"

"To be the best!" Ranma replied instantly, but it was mostly because that was Genma's talk. For all his life he couldn't remember anyone ever asking this, so he stopped questioning himself and accepted what Genma and the others demanded of him

"What's your father's desire for you," Kasumi sighed. "What do YOU want? What is YOUR dream?"

Ranma closed his eyes and thought about it, really thought about it, for the first time since he could remember. What did he want out of life? It obviously wasn't a boring life in school or anything like that, but then what? "... I... I want to keep improving in the Art. It's all I have, Kasumi..." Everything else could be taken away, but never his precious Art.

"It's not all you have," Kasumi returned. A bit more softly, "... or could have."

Ranma decided to change the subject from his dreams to a safer one, though it was only safer because it wasn't related to him. "What about you, Kasumi? What did you want before...?"

"I don't remember," Kasumi sighed. "When I made myself be the mother of the house, I had to push away all my happy thoughts. All my dreams. In time, I forgot them all." She laughed a bitter laugh. "You know the only people I could possibly consider friends are all the people you have brought though this dojo Ranma-kun. I've had no time go out and meet new people."

Ranma slumped at that. Those were not the kinds of friends Kasumi deserved. "I'm sorry, Kasumi..."

"Don't be sorry," Kasumi said with a smile. "If it wasn't for you, I'd never have my father back."

Ranma smirked slightly. "Tendo-san did seem to wake up, didn't he?"

"Yes, I haven't seen father with those kinds of eyes since before mother died," Kasumi said solemnly. "When she died, my father was never the same. Today is the first day I've seen the father I remember back in this house."

"Kasumi... About that necklace..." Ranma trailed off, unsure of how to ask about this.

"If you want me to get rid of it, the answer is no."

"But... why?" Ranma asked. In his experience magic was never a good thing.

"I can't take back everything I said. Can't return back to Kasumi the Mom and Housewife, even if I wanted to," she said seriously, her hand going to the necklace around her neck. "This necklace brought me my father back. Regardless of all else, that makes this good magic." A slight smile came on her face. "And besides, I'll probably need the magic it has soon enough."

"Huh?" Ranma asked intelligently, Kasumi's words going totally over his head.

"This is Nerima. Land of the weird. Anything and everything happens here. With this necklace, I won't be such the helpless little lady," Kasumi said, getting up. "I'm going to finish taking care of some things around the house, assuming Ranko didn't to take care of it. Good night." She was about to leave but then stopped. "Oh, Ranma-kun?"

"Yeah, Kasumi?" Ranma asked, in a daze, as he turned to see Kasumi.

"Make any more holes in my house and I'll be like one of those magical girls, transform and start chasing you around with my katana," she said coldly. She took in Ranma's gaping look before smirking. "Kidding. Well, kidding about the magical girl part. As I said before, I HATE having to walk down to the hardware store to buy wood and then make the repairs to the house." Kasumi had a surprised expression her face. "Oh dear... that felt very good to get that out." she then walked back to the latter and started to climb down.

Ranma slumped against the roof and sighed. "It's not like I want to damage the house," he grumbled to himself. Mostly it was Akane's or Ryoga's fault. But did anyone care? Nooooooooooo...

"Oh and I'm going to tell Akane and P-chan the same thing I told you," Kasumi's voice called out to him. "P-chan and I are going to have a long talk in private."

Ranma chuckled slightly and relaxed. Sometimes it almost seemed like Kasumi could see right through him.

-----

Akane sat in the dojo, looking at a pile of bricks, as if set up to break them. She stared at them intensely, as if testing her own self.

With a scream, she broke through them all. However looking at her hand, she saw it was bleeding this time. "Damnit!" Akane screamed, slamming her fist against the wall. Is this how pathetic I've become! I'm supposed to be a martial artist! I am much better than I was after the fight last week, and yet Kasumi went and tackled that pervert! "Why! Why didn't I do something damn it! She's my sister!"

"No wonder boys think you're weird, sis," Nabiki said as she walked into the dojo, repeating the same words she told Akane the fateful afternoon a certain redhead and her panda arrived at the Tendo Dojo.

"Shut up!" Akane snapped. "I'm not in the mood Nabiki!"

The middle Tendo sister shrugged and leaned against the wall. "Lately you're never in the mood, Akane-chan."

Akane growled a bit before letting off her steam. "I watched. I just watched and did nothing while that pervert was around. And it was Kasumi, KASUMI, that got involved in this. And now look at what's happened."

"And what has happened that is so terrible?" Nabiki asked with a raised eyebrow. Once she took the time to calm down and think about what happened, she came to the conclusion things didn't go badly at all.

"Terrible! Ha! Can't you tell? I mean Kasumi... she... she..." Akane trailed off. Even she had to admit to certain truths.

However admitting to them made her feel rather low.

Nabiki knew Akane wouldn't be able to talk about it, so she went to the second thing that must be eating at Akane. "She kissed Ranma-kun?"

"How could she! I am engaged to him right?" Akane snapped then frowned. "I mean... well..."

"You were engaged to him because we didn't take him... But the engagement is to one of us," Nabiki reminded her little sister. Maybe if she felt herself threatened she would start to be nicer to Ranma.

"So?"

Nabiki smirked. "So, my little sis, maybe Kasumi does want Ranma after all."

"You have to be kidding!" Akane gasped, her mouth . "Maybe it's that necklace. And what about how she feels about Dr Tofu or how he feels about her?"

"Have you ever seen Kasumi be nicer to Tofu than she is to anybody else?" Nabiki asked, wondering if Akane thought only because Tofu was a nut around their sister they were meant to be together.

"No"

"Is Kasumi immune to the effects of Ranma-kun's charm?" Nabiki asked, though she wasn't sure if Kasumi was really interested in Ranma.

"Sure she is, I mean what charm does he have?" Akane frowned. "Like Ranko said, social niceties of a child."

"So that's why he has every single girl in Nerima falling in love with him. I was so blind, that must be it," Nabiki stated sarcastically.

Akane laid back against the wall, thinking things over for a bit before speaking. "... I don't what I feel for him okay. He can be alright but he can also be a real pain in the ass. Some times its his fault, some times not. I... just don't get it with him."

"You better make up your mind, sis," Nabiki warned and started walking out of the dojo. "If Kasumi does have the hots for him..." she trailed off and left, leaving Akane to think about that.

-----

It was a very irritated Hibiki Ryoga that picked himself up, wincing at the bruises he received in his latest fight with Ranma. During the fight it was easy for him to ignore the pain, he was mostly running on adrenaline, but always after those fights he had to take some time to recover. He frowned to himself as he thought back to the fight, which was more one-sided than usual. Ryoga barely managed to tag Ranma once or twice, the pigtailed boy's speed having increased dramatically since they last fought. It was almost as if Ranma was training exclusively to dodge around his opponent's attacks, even more than before.

It was annoying and humiliating for Ryoga, who got his butt kicked and had to leave to get some more training. Some new technique that hopefully Ranma wouldn't be able to master in a week's time.

"Sounds like you and my brother have issues."

Ryoga turned in a ready stance as the voice interrupted and his eyes widened in recognition. "RANMA! You..." Whatever he was going to say went unspoken as he winced and fell back on a sitting position, holding his tender ribs. He was very tough, but even Ryoga needed time to recover after a hard fight.

"Geez, everyone really is going to confuse me for my brother's cursed form until I prove it to them," Ranko said pouring over her head a kettle of hot water, to show herself in front of Ryoga. "Let's try this again. Hi. I'm Saotome Ranko. Ranma's twin sister."

"What are you after now, Ranma?" Ryoga asked uncertainly. It wasn't the first time his nemesis fooled him.

"Please tell me you aren't as thick headed as that pervert Kuno," Ranko sighed. "Look, I don't know what my brother has done to you. He told me I had already met all of the regular pains he has. And why does he call you pig-boy?"

Ryoga gave Ranko a suspicious look, though it was obvious he was starting to believe her. He did, after all, see her and Ranma at the same time. "That's between him and me." There was no way he was revealing his curse to Ranma's sister, if she really was his sister and not some trick.

"Whatever," Ranko shrugged. "How are you feeling? That was some beating you took."

"He got lucky," Ryoga protested, not willing to admit Ranma actually defeated him quite easily. "And this is nothing. I'll be back on my feet very soon."

"I think it has to deal with the fact he won't take me seriously when we fight," Ranko said candidly.

"What?" Ryoga asked, unsure of what that had to do with anything.

"See, we've been sparing every day for the last week, but my brother refuses to hit back. Every attack I throw, he just avoids it though barely, and I mean barely," Ranko frowned. "It sucks for me because my true style isn't offensive so I'm at a disadvantage just fighting aggressively. Still, I know my own speed has improved since I started fighting him like this."

"That insensitive jerk," Ryoga growled out. That was the same thing Ranma always did to poor Akane, not taking her seriously. Now he was doing the same thing with his own sister!

"Like I said, you seem to have some issues with my own bro. Though father did a good job screwing him up," Ranko said with a grin. "I am so glad for the umpteenth time I was only with them for three years before Father lost me and Grandfather found me and raised me." She fixed a look on Ryoga. "So, you hungry?"

"No..." Ryoga said and his stomach protested audibly, making him blush slightly.

"Good. How about we talk while having some Chinese food. My treat?" Ranko offered.

"No funny stuff?" Ryoga asked suspiciously.

Ranko looked confused. "What do you mean funny stuff? All I want to do is talk, have some Chinese food for dinner and try to get you know you..." she frowned. "Oh shoot. I don't even know your name."

"Hibiki Ryoga," the boy said as he stood up, already feeling stronger but nowhere near top form.

"Well, let's go eat then Ryoga-kun," Ranko said with a smile.

-----

Arriving at the Nekohaunten was somewhat a surprise to Ryoga as he and Ranko walked in and took a seat.

"It's the best Chinese restaurant in town. It is definitely as good as anything I ever had in Kyoto," Ranko said to Ryoga.

"My, you certainly are a sight for sore eyes, child," Cologne said as she poggoed in from the kitchen, as if she felt the presence of the redhead before she even arrived. "And I see you brought the Hibiki boy with you. Have you taken a liking to your brother's rival?" The old woman teased with a raised eyebrow.

Ryoga's eyes went wide and he started choking at that. He... with Ranma's sister? NEVER! He'd never betray Akane like that.

Good evening Elder Cologne, Ranko returned in Mandarin, giving respect to the Amazon matriarch as she was an elder and it was how she was raised.

Cologne chuckled at the response she got from Ryoga and turned to Ranko. "While I thank you for your using my home language, if would be rude of us to speak it since Ryoga won't follow the conversation, child. Now what can this old woman do for you today?"

"I'll have ramen for tonight. What ever Ryoga-kun wants he can have. I'll be paying for everything."

"Absolutely not!" Ryoga protested. "I'll be paying." Ryoga might not have spent a lot of time with his parents, but they where there to teach him to always to pay for a girl's food, even if she was his enemy's sister.

"Ryoga-kun it's not a big deal," Ranko replied. "It's not as if I'm poor. I'm far from it."

"It's still not right," Ryoga countered and crossed his arms over his chest, the Hibiki stubbornness raring its ugly head and reminding Ranko of her own brother. No wonder Ryoga and Ranma continually butted heads.

"Well, there's something you both share in common," Ranko muttered. "Please don't tell me you're not into taking girls seriously too. That will really wreck my idea."

Ryoga blinked at her, confused about what she was getting at.

Cologne simply smiled knowingly. For the past week Ranko had been very clear about her disappointment in Ranma not taking their sparring seriously.

"You want to beat my brother, I want him to take me seriously. Individually, we are failing and he's just improving by taking us both on at different times," Ranko explained, a smile forming on her lips. "However, if you and I fought each other seriously, well..."

Ryoga seemed to think about it for a moment, really think about it. Ranma was somehow always a step ahead of him... but if he could get the drop on the pigtailed martial artist... "I'll do it."

"Perfect... and now let's eat."

Ryoga couldn't help but laugh slightly. _Different or not, they still have an appetite._ He only hoped that hers wasn't as bad as Ranma's. It would be a blow to his savings.

**To Be Continued...**


	5. Chapter 5

**_Disclaimer:_** _I do not on Ranma. Enough said about that. This story is a collaboration effort between me and Drakuzz. Sorry for the long wait between the last chapter and this one. Both me and Drakuzz had some personal stuff to work out plus we also wanted to have quite a bit of material to fall back on. Without any further delay, we hope that you will all enjoy this chapter._

**Twin Troubles**

**By David Knight and Drakuzz**

**Chapter Five: Three Days Later**

It was middle of the day when Tendo Kasumi was taking care of the laundry. It had been three days since the incident with Mizuki and so far, everything was as she expected it. As she went about doing everything that she had done for the last ten years, it just didn't sit well with her at all.

Everyone had gone to school long ago and would be returning any time now. She decided to clean the dojo last today, thinking maybe she'd try something when she was alone.

Instead she found the dojo wasn't empty and what she saw made her smile.

Closing the door silently, she walked back into the kitchen, only to find a certain panda had long since returned and was raiding her fridge.

Some reason, she felt keeping the katana she had acquired from Mizuki in the kitchen was appropriate, especially for this.

"Please put that back Saotome-san," Kasumi said in a kind voice, as she laid the razor sharp edge of the katana at his throat.

She really wasn't going to hurt him, though she had heard scaring someone is as good as going through with what you had planned.

Genma froze and turned to look at Kasumi. _When the hell did she get a katana?_

"A lot has happened since you've been away, Saotome-san. Your father may be gone but your dear daughter is still here," Kasumi replied kindly. "Please put that food back now. You'll ruin dinner when it comes in a few hours."

"Grouf?" Genma asked but put the food back in the fridge anyway, not wanting to upset Kasumi while she had that katana in hand. And the subsequent beating his children dished out.

"Now why don't you go take a look in the dojo? I am sure that should give you an indication of how things have been while you've been gone for the last few days."

Genma did as told, not because he was afraid of Kasumi of course, but because he was actually curious about what happened. The fact that his father wasn't here anymore made him calm down somewhat.

What he saw was something he hadn't expected and what had made Kasumi smile.

For the first time since the death of his wife, Tendo Soun was actually practicing the Art. The shocks he had received had woken him back to the world of the living and he was determined make sure that he wouldn't fail in his duties, to his children or to his late wife. He finished his kata before he noticed he had observers. "Saotome, good to see you."

Genma groufed something and whipped out a sign. '**That's the spirit, Tendo! About time you put it together!' **Saotome Genma might be many things, but he was Soun's friend.

"Yes well, it took my daughter nearly taking another life to realize just how foolish I have been," Soun said with some shame.

"Father please, I thought we agreed you wouldn't mope about it," Kasumi chided him. "What's done is done. Now there is only what comes now. If anything, we should be grateful for what happened."

Soun shook his head. "I guess there is some logic to that."

**'Let me get changed and we'll whip you back in shape, Tendo old buddy!' **Genma signed and rushed out of the dojo, eager to practice with his old friend once more after so long.

Kasumi blinked at that. "I didn't think he could move that fast."

Soun laughed a little at that comment. "Tell you the truth, I am looking forward to sparing with Saotome again."

"You do look happy father," Kasumi mentioned. "A lot has changed in the last two weeks hasn't it?"

Soun nodded as he was certain much had changed in those two weeks. To be honest, he wouldn't this changed for anything. "And how are you feeling Kasumi?"

Kasumi hesitated for a bit. "I... I am getting better."

Soun frowned. "That's a lie and you know it."

"Yes," _But I wanted to know if you could tell if I was lying,_ she added to herself. She saw her father's stare. It felt good to have her daddy back. "Everything, feels off. I can perform everything like I used to, but I feel hollow doing it all on my own."

"You won't be doing it all yourself anymore Kasumi," Soun said sternly. "We will all help out."

Kasumi's eyes went wide hearing that declaration.

"All set for training, Soun!" Genma exclaimed as he entered the dojo, once again human. "Time to put some strain on those old muscles."

"Don't go easy on me my friend," Soun said to Genma. "I know I am out of shape and I want to get better."

"When did I ever go easy on you, old friend? If the master saw that he'd take us in another training trip," Genma said and shuddered at the memories of those training trips.

"Yes he would," Soun agreed. "And it has been peaceful without the master here these last two weeks."

Genma nodded but looked around nervously. Any day now Happosai would return to the dojo from his 'training' trip.

Kasumi took notice of their looks. "I guess I should warn Ranko about him then. One can only image what he'll think when seeing your daughter Saotome-san."

"Err... Right..." Genma said uncertainly.

---

School let out at Furikan High. And like yesterday, Kuno found his face in the dirt courtesy of one of the Saotome Twins.

"I am amazed you haven't sent him to the hospital after al the time you've been here bro," Ranko said.

"He's too stupid to know it hurts, sis," Ranma said as he dusted his hands, a look of boredom on his face.

"Well, see ya for dinner," Ranko said starting to walk away.

Ranma blinked. "Where are you going?"

"Out to meet with Shampoo. Thought we'd might chat a bit," Ranko said. "There's nothing wrong with that is there?"

"Nah. See you at the dojo," Ranma said, not wanting to be around Shampoo. He had a lot of deep thinking to do, anyway. After his talk with Kasumi he found himself training more and more in his katas, which allowed him to think more clearly.

"Later," Ranko said, walking in the opposite direction. As she left, Akane walked out of the school and saw Ranma standing alone.

"Where's she going?"

"Spending time with Shampoo," Ranma said and jumped over the fence to walk home.

Akane shook her head, not bothering to care then and letting it drop at that. _What the heck could she talk about with Shampoo anyway?_

---

Ranko was frowning. _Where is he?_ she wondered what was taking him so long. She was expecting him to help her train yet how could they even start unless he got here.

"What Ranko-chan doing?" A familiar female voice with a broken accent was heard from the side.

Ranko picked up on that. "I'm waiting for Ryoga to show up."

Shampoo stepped into the lot with a pout on her face. "Lost boy not show up for days, maybe week."

Ranko blinked. "For real?"

The Amazon girl nodded her head and looked down the street. "He probably in Hokaido now. Not know when he appear again."

"How can he get lost like that? I gave him directions."

Shampoo snickered at that. "Shampoo no call him lost boy for nothing, Ranko-chan."

"I just don't get it at all." Ranko said shaking her head. "What are you doing here Shampoo?"

"Shampoo here to tell Ranko-chan not to waste her time. Come to Nekohanten and talk about Aireen, yes?" That was one thing that Ranko had learned about Shampoo. She was downright obsessed with her brother, drinking up every little detail about him.

"Might as well... you sure he wont be here at least today or some time in the next few hours?"

Shampoo nodded her head seriously. "He too too good at getting lost."

"Okay. I'll just have to remember to leave a sign or something later to let him know," Ranko said. "I don't want him to think I forgot or anything when he does show up."

Shampoo thought about it for a moment and grinned. "If Aireen thought of that maybe he not fight with pig boy all the time."

"My brother isn't exactly one of social niceties," Ranko replied, knowing how Shampoo referred to her brother as her Aireen. To Amazon laws, they were married, though not to Ranko. For her, her brother could marry whomever he felt like when he felt like it.

Still she wasn't going to say anything like that aloud. It just wasn't proper.

Shampoo giggled. "Aireen strong warrior. He not need be social," Shampoo said in her broken Japanese and started for the Nekohanten, already looking forward to squeezing information out of Ranko.

"He needs to have a life, Shampoo," Ranko said firmly. "There is more to life than being a warrior."

Shampoo stopped and turned to regard Ranko. "Ranko-chan funny. Aireen know better."

Ranko gave her a glare. "I wasn't making a funny. There _is_ more than being a warrior in life."

"That not what Aireen or Shampoo believe. Life is becoming stronger, then teaching to become strong. Life of warrior."

Ranko shook her head sadly. "Then you are missing out on a lot."

Shampoo shrugged. Maybe she was, but she was happy the way she was right now.

---

Akane had a look of disbelief on her face. She and Ranma had come home and heard sounds of someone fighting. They went to see, but weren't prepared for who was fighting. Daddy?

Ranma looked on in surprise. Akane's old man was almost keeping up with Genma.

"Isn't it great how father has gotten back into sparing?" Kasumi said from behind them.

Ranma turned from the fight and grinned when he saw the happy smile on Kasumi's face. "He's not bad."

"Yeah..." Akane muttered, watching the scene in front of her. Father... is actually this good?

"Ranma-kun, could I ask a favor of you?" Kasumi asked.

"Sure, Kasumi. What is it?"

"Spar with me."

"WHAT!" Akane's jaw had practically hit the floor.

"I think I didn't hear right, Kasumi..." Ranma muttered in disbelief.

"You heard right," Kasumi said, her voice clear as day. "I would like you to spar with me."

"Kasumi, why are you asking him to do THAT of all things?" Akane asked, her head spinning.

Ranma stared at Kasumi as if she had lost her mind, but said nothing.

"Because," Kasumi said, putting a hand to her necklace and closing her eyes. A flash of lighting sparked, much less intense then from the previous day but it wrapped around Kasumi, changing her back into the ninja they had seen. Though changed, her eyes were not as fierce as they were three days ago yet they weren't as soft as Kasumi's always had been. "I need to learn how fight when I am like this."

Ranma blinked and was off balance for a moment. Seeing Kasumi like this... it brought back memories of the fight and kiss she gave him. "I... uh..."

"Onne-chan... are you, you?" Akane asked, not sure of her sisters frame of mind. Her sister's slight chuckle unnerved her.

"Don't worry. I am not in a mood to go about killing someone," Kasumi said, smirking under her face mask. She really did like how it felt when she changed into this. She also enjoyed the look on Ranma's face. "What's wrong Ranma-kun? Cat got your tongue?"

Ranma visibly flinched at Kasumi's choice of words. "Kasumi... are you sure?"

Kasumi nodded. "Let me make it clear. I **_want_** to do this."

"You know I don't hit girls, right?" Ranma asked, figuring if he tired Kasumi out she wouldn't go postal on anyone this time around.

Kasumi smirked. "I just might make you break that vow before Ranko-chan does."

_If she did that would be something,_ Akane mused but then shook her head. _What am I thinking!_

"So, just two things before we begin, Ranma-kun," Kasumi said. "First, take or leave my katana in the kitchen?"

Ranma shrugged. Once in fighting mode he was in his terrain. "What do you want to practice, Kasumi?"

"How to fight," Kasumi said, picking up her katana.

"Kasumi, do you even know to..." Akane started to say until she saw Kasumi toss up a head of lettuce.

In a few swift strokes, the lettuce became nothing more than little pieces.

"When I am like this, yes. Very much so Akane-chan," Kasumi said, sheathing the katana.

"Bring it on, Kasumi," Ranma said eagerly. If Kasumi was that fast with the katana he'd get quite the chance to improve his dodging skills. It was either dodge or else.

"Then let's take this outside shall we!" Kasumi said, giving Ranma a look.

Ranma took that as his cue to leap back and out while Kasumi unsheathed her katana and charged him.

"Wait! You're going to be right in sight of..." Akane trailed off, realizing what the second thing Kasumi had wanted from Ranma was. Though she was a bit uneasy about her sister like this, she couldn't help a small smile forming on her face. _I wonder how the panda will take to this._

---

Meanwhile Genma was practically fighting circles around Soun, his old friend very out of shape. It wasn't that Soun was weak or uncoordinated, but Genma trained daily against his son, who he had to really strain to keep up with. Years of not training had taken a heavy toll on Tendo's skill in the Art.

Soun however wouldn't back down. He would get back on his feet. He would not back down from the path he had put himself on. He would get better.

He just didn't know how long it would take for that to happen.

Not far from where the two men engaged in sparring, Ranma walked out followed by Kasumi and assumed his usual fighting stance, meaning he stood around seemingly lazy and waited for his opponent to make a move.

Kasumi narrowed her eyes, her hand moving towards her katana. The moment she had placed her hand on it, she charged Ranma, waiting for the moment when she was at close quarters. That's when she unsheathed her sword, swinging out in one quick motion.

Ranma jumped just in the nick of time having expected the attack from the other fight, and landed softly on top of the extended katana, hands behind his back.

Kasumi narrowed her eyes again, but didn't feel anger. Instead, she felt resolve as she swung her katana. Ranma fell back to earth, she swung again yet still she missed him. _But then again I don't want to kill him._ She thought with a smirk. _Just give a little rip in his clothes._

Ranma back-flipped from the katana wielder and landed in a crouch, only to start jumping around and evading the strikes. Kuno was faster, he decided, but it was obvious Kasumi was keeping her strikes non-lethal. That fact made him smile and enjoy the spar more. It seemed like some of the Kasumi he knew was there even if the necklace was making her act strangely.

As Kasumi fought, she couldn't help but feel utter exhilaration. For Ranko, it was frustration mixed with joy. For Ranma's rivals, it was anger that they couldn't beat him. But Kasumi loved it. She couldn't remember when she felt this alive.

So lost in the exhilaration she didn't notice how her hands and her sword were starting to spark with lightning.

But Ranma did notice, and knowing how it felt when she shocked him last time, he redoubled his efforts to avoid being tagged. It was turning out to be good exercise, after all.

As they went through their paces, Kasumi felt like wanting to explore what she had. She knew this katana was enchanted. That fool Mizuki had shown that much. He who had about zero chi in him was able to swing this katana to make an energy blade attack that struck Ranma. _If that untrained fool could do something like that with this sword, I should be able to do the same._ Concentrating and willing, thoughts came to her and words came out of her mouth without even realizing it after she had performed the action. "RAIKOU NAMI!"

One swing of the sword and a wave of thunder and chi came barreling right at Ranma.

Ranma had seen that attack before, though, and was ready to dodge it.

As he did, however, he didn't take into account that Genma was fighting Soun behind him. Or that it would hit the elder Saotome dead on.

"Shimatta!" Kasumi cursed. "Saotome-san! Move!"

Genma blinked and turned just in time to see the attack hit him square in the chest, which sent him flying against a wall.

"Saotome!" Soun cried, seeing his friend impact against the wall. He turned around to see Ranma and... "Kasumi?"

Kasumi put her katana away looking down at the ground. "Sorry daddy. We were sparring and... well..."

Ranma burst out laughing. "Serves the old man right!" Genma was always a pain in the ass about Ranma lowering his guard.

Soun was to his friend's side, helping him. "Saotome. Are you alright?"

Genma could only moan in response. He was conscious, but that really hurt.

"Wow. I wasn't expecting it to hurt that much," Kasumi said in surprise. "I only used a small amount of chi, just to experiment."

"It's a magical sword," Ranma said, more experienced with such things.

"I think that much was obvious Ranma-kun," Kasumi replied.

The pigtailed martial artist grinned.

"How is Saotome-san?" Kasumi asked her father.

"He'll be alright. He's had worse than this," Soun announced.

Ranma snorted and kicked the seemingly comatose Genma on the side. Before Soun or Kasumi could protest the treatment the elder Saotome was up and glaring at his son. "You ungrateful boy!"

"What does he have to be grateful for?" Kasumi muttered aloud.

Genma ignored Kasumi and continued glaring at Ranma, who looked rather amused at his father's anger.

The pigtailed martial artist suddenly moved and tapped Kasumi on the nose. "You lose," he said as he jumped back with a smirk. It wasn't his fault that Kasumi let her guard down.

Kasumi blinked for a moment but then fumed slightly. "That's cheating, Ranma-kun."

"It's not. We never said the match was over," Ranma defended with that insufferable grin firmly in place.

Kasumi fumed a little longer before letting a slight smirk form on her face. "So, this is how you want it," she said, pulling out her sword. "I can live with that."

"Come and get me," Ranma challenged.

Kasumi smiled behind her face mask as she leapt with blinding speed after Ranma, who was still faster than her, although the sword did give added reach as well as the danger of the blade.

Soun looked on at the two and had a smile. "Now isn't this wonderful Saotome?"

Genma frowned in confusion. "What is, Tendo?"

"My daughter showing interest again in the art, granted it isn't mine and perhaps those enchanted items could be an influence," Soun said. "But it fills my heart with joy to see Kasumi enjoying herself."

Genma thought about it for a moment and had to admit, aside from her attack on him it was good that at least one of Soun's daughters showed serious interest in the art. "That it does, Tendo. That it does."

It was then Soun had a feeling of dread. Everything just seemed... perfect. If Nermia had taught him anything, it was when things were perfect, a minute later they became much less than perfect.

---

Ranko finished off her ramen gratefully. She enjoyed eating here as always. "Always a pleasure to eat here."

"And always a pleasure to see such a healthy appetite, child," Cologne returned with a smile. This redhead was such a dear.

"Honored Elder, I have a favor to ask," Ranko started to say. "For a week now I have been debating whether or not to ask you for this, but I have decided now to ask."

Cologne raised an inquisitive eyebrow at that. "Please feel free to ask, child."

Ranko looked Cologne in the eyes, absolutely serious. "I want to learn what you taught my brother. Please."

"And what would that be, Ranko-chan?" Cologne asked. "I've thought the son-in-law several things."

Ranko blinked then. "More than the Kachu Tenshin Amaguriken?"

"I have taught your brother through fighting, Ranko-chan. Sure, I taught him a special speed-punching technique, but most of all I've allowed him to learn from me during our encounters," Cologne said, seeing no harm in telling Ranko such.

Ranko let this sink in, finding even more respect for the matriarch. She hadn't even seen her fight yet, but knew just by looks she was good. She just didn't know how good.

Cologne laughed and served the redhead some tea. "I assume, from your question, that you wish to learn the Amaguriken?"

Ranko nodded, accepting the tea. "I was fascinated when I saw my brother use it before. I want to learn this technique."

The old woman nodded. "The training is very simple, though painful."

Ranko kept her eyes focused. "Teach me."

---

An hour later, Ranko was putting ointment over her burnt hands and wrapping them in bandages. She knew the name of the technique translated out to 'Chestnuts Roasting upon an open fire'. She hadn't realized that was what the training entailed.

_But if you think about it, it makes sense. The speed you have to have to pull out all of those chestnuts without the flames even singing your hands... absolutely incredible._

"Ranko-chan asked great grandmother about Amaguriken?" Shampoo asked as she walked into the room after some deliveries, and a failed attempt at getting Ranma's attention.

Ranko nodded. "I didn't expect the training to be so literal."

The purple-haired girl sat on a chair next to Ranko. "Let Shampoo see," she said and motioned for Ranko's hands.

Ranko held her hands out and allowed Shampoo to take off the bandages she had already put on the burns off.

The Amazon winced slightly but gave Ranko a smile. "You is better than Shampoo when she start. No serious burns."

"You know how to do this shampoo?"

Shampoo nodded her head. "All Amazon warriors learn Amaguriken. Not many as fast as Aireen, though..." she admitted with a blush of embarrassment.

"How long did it my brother to learn this technique?"

Shampoo pursed her lips in thought. "Aireen didn't learn technique like all others... He not able to feel hot, so he teach himself new method."

"Not able to feel hot?" Ranko blinked. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Aireen under cat's tongue that time. Warm water burn skin," Shampoo explained in her broken Japanese. Even if she could speak in Chinese to Ranko, Cologne was within earshot. She had to practice her Japanese.

"Cat's Tongue?"

Shampoo nodded. "Pressure point. Aireen not can sense heat or in pain."

"Well, I can feel the heat, that's for sure," Ranko said, knowing how sore her hands felt right now. But if she could learn this technique, she would be that much closer to her goal.

The Amazon smiled dreamily. "Aireen so skilled. He teach himself new way to learn Amaguriken."

Ranko sighed, not liking Shampoo constantly mentioning that, however a thought occurred to her. "Say Shampoo, have you ever questioned why my brother doesn't respond well to your advances?"

"What Ranko-chan talking about?" Shampoo asked with a blink of her eyes. "Aireen love Shampoo."

"Shampoo, if my brother loved you as you think, would he not be here with you right now sharing dinner together, or at least try to spend a fraction of the time that Mousse does trying to bring gifts to you?" Ranko mentioned the nearsighted martial artist not so casually. So far he had tried to attack her to get to her brother, but recently had given her roses and chocolate thinking she was Shampoo until he put his glasses on... after she gave him a ticket face first to the pavement.

Shampoo pursed her lips for a moment and shook her head. "Aireen warrior. He no waste time like stupid Mousse." She sighed dreamily. "He training to become strong, to train children of next generation."

"Even so, shouldn't a 'husband' be able to show his affections to the one he cares for?"

"Ranko-chan no know what she talking about," Shampoo said with a smile, which the redhead saw as a denial to see the truth.

"You wear your mask well, trying to hide your fears," Ranko said calmly. "My advice to you, as a friend, if you want to win my brother's heart, try not to be so possessive of him and don't call him Aireen until you are married. If you don't... you might find that you've lost him to another woman."

Shampoo didn't answer, instead focusing on bandaging Ranko's hands.

"Say Shampoo, how much you know about enchanted items?" Ranko asked.

At that the Chinese girl perked up, getting away from a rather shaky topic. "Amazons have many magical treasures in village."

"Well there's something I am wondering if you'd know about," Ranko asked. "You remember how I mentioned I had trouble with a rather annoying 'suitor' a few days ago."

Shampoo nodded. "You said stupid male bother you like Mousse."

Ranko nodded. "What I didn't mention before was how Kasumi got involved in this."

"Something happen to Nice-nice girl?" Shampoo asked in surprise, expecting nothing to harm Kasumi.

"Yeah. Mizuki tried to put a necklace on me, thinking it would turn me into his love slave. Instead Kasumi got in the way and he put the magic necklace on her. It turned her into an unrestrained ninja version of herself, knowing how to use a katana rather well."

"Nice-nice girl kill someone?" Shampoo asked in disbelief.

"Thankfully not. She gave me and Ranma a tough fight, though we were holding back. If it wasn't for Tendo-san talking her down..."

"Excuse me, child. But how exactly does this necklace look like?" Cologne asked as she seemed to appear sitting next to Ranko.

"Great grandmother?" Shampoo asked with a blink of her eyes.

"At first it was a golden necklace with a sapphire spade in the center, but then when Kasumi changed, it became a black choker with a larger spade there."

The old woman seemed to ponder the young redhead's words for a moment. "And you say this necklace had a strong effect on the eldest Tendo girl?"

"Strong enough to call Akane a brat to her face, insult her family for their short comings, change her physical appearance, and oh yes, able to use lightning chi of some sort," Ranko listed to her. "Strong effect might be an understatement though."

Cologne nodded to herself. "I might need to study some of the ancient lore. I seem to remember of magical items with those particular qualities."

"Really?" Ranko asked. "That would certainly help. I mean, Kasumi seems intent on keeping it now. I didn't bring this up before because I thought she was going to get rid of it."

"I'll tell you as soon as I find anything, child," Cologne said with a smile.

"Thank you Elder," Ranko said, seeing Shampoo had finished bandaging her hands. "Well, I better get going. It's almost dinner time and I told my brother I'd be back by then. I don't want him to start getting suspicious..." She looked at her hands and scratched the back of her head, looking sheepish. "Of course, it maybe a little late for that."

Shampoo giggled. While different in some aspects, Ranko was so much like her loveable brother.

---

Akane stood outside, waiting and watching, feeling a bit jealous. _Looks like everyone's just bonding right now. Now all we'd need is..._ She heard the door open and turned around. "Hi sis. What's up?"

Nabiki raised an eyebrow. "Feeling left-out, Akane-chan?"

"Does it look that obvious?" Akane sighed.

"Only to everyone, sis," Nabiki said dryly and turned to regard Kasumi. "Can you believe that's our older sister?"

Akane shook her head. She had never before seen Kasumi act... spirited. The passion she had right now for the art, it put her own to shame.

There was a big difference, however. Kasumi didn't seem angry, unlike her younger sister. Not even when Ranma taunted her to move faster.

Kasumi took it in stride and continued to move faster, her blade coming closer to him every turn, yet her strikes were unlike Kuno's. Akane had seen Kuno attack Ranma enough times that he went to maim yet Kasumi was doing no such thing.

"Wow, I didn't know your dad was that good."

Both Tendos turned to see Ranko coming into the house. "I'm gonna guess I'm not late for dinner."

"Actually, I don't think Kasumi prepared dinner today," Nabiki mussed. "And don't even think about it, Akane-chan."

"Wasn't going to suggest it," Akane said in defense of herself. Though I could if I wanted to. She noticed Ranko's hands. "Hey why do you have them bandaged?"

"Oh this?" Ranko asked, though inspiration hit her. "Um, I tried cooking at the Nekohauten and kinda burned my hands. I'm fine really."

"Tell us another one, red," Nabiki said dryly. "Now what really happened?"

Ranko sunk her head. "Chestnuts roasting on an open fire."

"You're kidding!" Akane exclaimed in disbelief.

"Couldn't let your brother fight circles around you with it, huh?" Nabiki asked with a grin. "So how does it feel to make an ass of yourself trying to learn that?"

"I'll be an ass if I don't learn this technique," Ranko replied. "And I'd like to keep my brother from knowing I'm trying to learn it."

"Sure no problem." Two pairs of eyes stared at Akane. "What! I want to see the baka get beat by a girl... even if it isn't me." The last part she said much more softly.

Nabiki nodded, but inwardly she was doubtful. Turning to regard the fight between Ranma and Kasumi... he was becoming a lot faster. It would do him good to be beat by a girl, but would Ranko be able to manage it? If Kasumi kept helping Ranma he would be so fast he didn't even blink at Ranko learning the Amaguriken.

Now if I can only get Ryoga to not be so directionless, Ranko thought.

"Hey Nabiki... you been having one of those bad feelings today?" Akane asked seriously.

"One of those Bad feelings'?" Ranko blinked, confused.

"You mean like it's too peaceful to last?" Nabiki asked, knowing quite well what Akane was referring to.

"Yup." Akane said.

"Could someone explain what in the world do you mean?" Ranko demanded. "You're talking in circles and I am starting to get dizzy."

"It's too peaceful, Ranko-chan," Nabiki as if it explained everything. And for Nerima veterans it did.

"You mean for not getting attacked by fiancées inc?" Ranko joked.

"No. By something worse," Akane said almost sagely with a wisdom beyond her years.

Ranko snorted in disbelief. "Come on, what could be worse than that nightmare from hell with Mizuki."

"AHHHHHHHHHH!"

Nabiki groaned. "Just what we needed. Now the old perv... Kasumi!" She cried, seeing it was her eldest sister that was groped for the first time.

Ranma, Kasumi, Genma and Soun had all be sparing when it had happened. Now everyone just stared in utter shock as the sight of the perverted master of Anything Goes Martial Arts was now groping Kasumi's bosom.

The former housewife now kunochi was seeing red and her eyes were sparking as she tore of her face mask just so the Master could see her face. "YOU DARE DO THIS TO ME!" She roared as she battle aura exploded, sending shockwaves everywhere.

Happosai blinked from his perch. "Kasumi-chan?" He then grinned. "Such delicious chi you have, my dear," he said in somewhat of a daze.

Kasumi held her katana at the ready, her eyes sparkling with lightning. "Happosai...DIE! RAIKOU NAMI!" She flung her chi attack at the perverted leach and leapt in the air intent on taking his head.

Soun was shaking up. "This could be bad Saotome. Very bad."

"Why, Tendo? Kasumi might be able to get rid of the Master," Genma said as Happosai laughed and danced around Kasumi's attacks.

"I don't think so," Soun said shaking his head. Despite his daughter's new skills, she wasn't as accomplished as the master and she was fighting with rage, not the clear head she had before.

"Stay still and die perverted fool!" Kasumi spat, attacking again.

"HOTCHA! Look at those pretties bounce!" Happosai crowed as he launched himself at Kasumi and jumped back holding... oh boy!

"You damn pervert!" Ranma cried as he joined the fray, the laughing pervert dangling Kasumi's bra tauntingly in front of the pair.

Except he was suddenly covered under men's underwear. Ranma, Soun and Genma's to be precise. Genma's hadn't even been washed yet.

"What the..." Akane stared at Ranko who had the basket in her hands.

"You think I came here not knowing about Happosai?" Ranko scoffed. "Grandfather told me about him."

"No!" Happosai cried as Ranma took the bra from his hands and bopped him over the head.

"Serves you right, you old perv!" Ranma snapped as he kicked the lecher for good measure.

It was then, and only then, that Ranma realized what he was holding in his right hand. He blushed furiously when he realized the owner of the garment stood no more than two feet away.

"Um... could I ... have that back now please?" Kasumi said, blushing furiously herself and without a facemask to hide behind.

"Uh... y-yeah... sure..." Ranma said and handed it back.

Kasumi took the bra back gratefully. "Well I think that's enough for today. I'll get started on dinner... but none for the pervert." she said sternly, going to the kitchen to work, but first to the bathroom, to put her bra back on.

"Aint going to get any argument from anyone here," Ranko mused, taking in everyone's expressions.

Ranma blanched when he saw the incensed look on Akane's face. No doubt she was going to call him a pervert and bash him over the head right now.

What she did however was walk away still as steamed as ever but hadn't hit him. Instead, she walked away without touching him.

That only caused Ranma to blink in confusion, wondering what happened.

"Well, looks like you had some fun today bro," Ranko said teasingly.

Ranma turned to regard his sister. "Just the... what happened?" he asked protectively, instantly by her side examining her hands.

"Oh nothing, just burned my hands trying to cook," Ranko said calmly.

Ranma eyed his sister strangely. "But you haven't been in the dojo all day long."

"Well, I wasn't trying to cook here," Ranko replied, though she had a feeling her lie wasn't going to work.

Ranma frowned slightly when he looked at her hands. "Fire burns?"

"I give up," Ranko sighed, knowing now he wasn't going to buy it.

The pigtailed martial artist stared at his sister. "You're trying to learn the Amaguriken, aren't ya?"

"Yeah."

Ranma nodded and smirked. "Trying to catch up with the best, huh?"

"Trying to get you take me seriously is more like it," Ranko said with her own smirk.

"I'm taking you seriously," Ranma said defensively.

"No you aren't. You just keep dodging me and I haven't even used my own style once against you," Ranko returned. "You've kept me in the disadvantage the entire time."

Ranma stared at Ranko blankly. "Isn't that taking you seriously?"

Ranko shook her head. "You're so impossible." She walked away and into the kitchen to see if Kasumi needed any help at all.

"Ranko! What's wrong?" Ranma asked as he followed after her, trying to know why she was upset.

"What's wrong? What's wrong!" Ranko snapped looking back at her brother. "What's wrong is that you won't fight me for real! What's wrong is that I am tired of you thinking of me as some sort of china doll! What's wrong is that I want you to respect me as a fighter!"

Ranma glared right back. "I am taking you seriously! Why the hell do you think I'm just dodging your attacks, you stupid tomboy!" he cried out, feeling as if he was talking to Akane.

Ranko just glared right back at Ranma, staring at him until finally she relented.

Ranma puffed angrily. "Of course I ain't letting ya fight in your style! Anything Goes is all about adapting and exploiting weaknesses!" He shook his head and walked off. "Stupid tomboy..." he muttered to himself.

"I'll make you fight me."

He stopped and turned around to see his sister staring at him. "One day, I'll get to your level and then I'll be able to fight in my own style. When that happens, I don't care what you use, I'll win."

Ranma returned a cocky grin at that. "You're forgetting something, sis. Saotome Ranma doesn't lose."

Ranko took a smirk back. "We'll see about that. Won't we bro?"

**To Be Continued...**


	6. Chapter 6

**_Disclaimer:_** _I do not on Ranma. Enough said about that. This story is a collaboration effort between me and Drakuzz. We hope you enjoy it._

**Twin Troubles**

**By David Knight and Drakuzz**

**Chapter Six: The Package**

The next couple of days were a routine, with Ranma spending most of his time sparring with either Ranko, Genma or Kasumi. Akane continued recovering from her injuries, and watched longingly as the other girls managed to spar with Ranma without losing their tempers. Well... Kasumi didn't lose her temper. Ranko did from time to time.

_Damn it. Fighting against us all is going to just make him that much better. And Ryoga still hasn't shown up._ Ranko thought to herself as she took a rest. Ranma was getting better having to fight three different people in the same day. And it was insane the level he was starting to rise too.

Thankfully, she had some ideas for Ryoga once he did get back and thankfully she had left a note, after a fashion, for him. _I just hope that package I ordered arrives before he does._

Ranma, for his part, spent a considerable amount of time talking with Kasumi when no one else was around. What about only Kasumi and Ranma knew, but he seemed to be more quiet and withdrawn lately, as if considering something important.

Soun wondered what his daughter was thinking of, though he had one hopeful, if perhaps remote, possibility in mind. His distraction cost him as Genma landed a blow. He got back up but still enjoyed their sparing sessions, as he needed to get back into shape. He would not reopen his dojo until he knew he was fit to teach again.

The Amazons and Ukyo had been calm lately, not wanting to upset the routine even if Ranma rarely ever visited, instead opting to remain in the dojo.

Also, they hadn't heard from Ranko's grandfather. Ranko found that oddly strange. _Not even a phone call... just what has he got planned?_

"You okay, Ranko-chan?" Nabiki asked as she sat next to the redhead, who was staring into space.

"Sorta," Ranko said, holding her hands, bandaged still as a sign of her chestnut fist training. "Grandfather hasn't called me since he left. It's not like him. I am wondering what is going on."

"Maybe he's trying not to let others follow you here," Nabiki suggested.

"Maybe," Ranko sighed. "But even so, it's still strange."

"Why don't you give him a call then?" Nabiki asked. "If you're worried."

"I should," Ranko said, getting up to go make the phone call.

The house was quiet right now, with Ranma and Kasumi sitting by the pond after a vigorous sparring match. Ranko had to admit, Kasumi was becoming very fast and improving even faster.

That's not all she's getting, Ranko said with a smirk, seeing how close they were becoming, even if they didn't. Picking up the phone, she dialed.

After three tones, the phone was picked on the other end. "Moshi moshi," the voice of her grandfather was clearly heard.

"Hello grandfather. How are you doing?"

"Ranko-chan! What a pleasant surprise!"

"It's good to hear your voice grandfather. I wanted to see how everything was."

"Everything is fine, granddaughter. I was just thinking about you. I take it you received my package?"

"Package?" Ranko blinked. "What package?"

"You mean you don't have it yet? Oh dear, and here I'm ruining the surprise for you."

"What are you talking about?" Ranko asked, her curiosity already piqued. "Grandfather what did you send to me?"'

"Nothing, dear. I'm just rambling in my old age."

"Grandfather! Don't play that game with me!" Ranko shouted. She knew she was acting like a child but she was beyond curious as a cat. "Come on! Tell me what you sent me! Please!"

"But my dear Ranko-chan. That would ruin the surprise."

"Yeah but how long has it been since you sent this surprise and I haven't gotten it?"

"What surprise? I don't remember anything about a surprise."

"Argh!" Ranko growled. _I HATE it when he pulls the going senile routine._

"Now, was there something you wanted?"

"No. Nothing much. Just wanted to see if you were fine, which I know now, goodbye... gramps," She hung up the phone with a slam. It was when her grandfather pulled something that infuriated her like this was she allowed herselfto get off with calling him gramps. "Damnit! What is he plotting!"

"Something wrong, Ranko-chan?" Nabiki asked from behind Ranko, a grin on her face.

"What are you smiling about?" Ranko asked. She'd learned that when Nabiki smiled, it meant you should be on your toes.

"Oh, nothing really," Nabiki said with a smile that said 'I'm going to milk you.'

Ranko sighed. "Grandfather's got some sort of surprise planed for me. He's already sent his package. Problem is, I have no idea what he's planning"

"And is that a bad thing?" Nabiki asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I don't know. It's just I hate how he does this, then when I call, he mentions it and then goes with the 'senile shtick'. It really ticks me off when he does that."

"You haven't been around your father long enough to hear his speeches," Nabiki said in amusement.

"What kind of speech could he give other than one that said 'women are weak' and such?" Ranko snorted.

Nabiki did a passable imitation of Genma as she said, "I can't believe you would do this to your old and suffering father."

Ranko chuckled a little. "As if he's one to talk about suffering."

---

Ranma sighed in contentment as he stretched his legs after another strenuous workout, sitting on one of the boulders that surrounded the koi pond. "That was a great match, Kasumi," he praised.

"The pleasure was mine Ranma-kun," Kasumi smiled, putting her katana back in its sheath. She had gained an attachment to the blade now. It was like an extension of herself.

Ranma assumed a cross-legged position and rested his hands on his knees, turning to look intently at the eldest of the Tendo daughters.

"Something on your mind Ranma-kun?"

"Well... I was just wondering... Kasumi... You... Uh..." Ranma trailed off nervously, not sure about how Kasumi would take his next comment.

"Go on. Don't worry about me. I'm not that easily offended," Kasumi said casually.

Ranma raised an eyebrow, remembering the way she treated that idiot that came to bother Ranko. He shook his head to clear it and firmed his resolve. "I was wondering... Kasumi... Have you decided... what you want?"

Kasumi sighed. She was expecting this question, just not this soon. "Ranma, it hasn't been that long for me make a definite decision, and yet... and yet I what is to find my own piece of heaven." She noticed his look and laughed a little. "I know. It sounds a little corny, true. But, in the end, aren't we all searching for happiness? Abstractly, that's what I want the most. That may not be the answer you wanted to hear, but its all I can offer you now."

Ranma nodded and shrugged sheepishly. "It's just that... you've been listening to me and my troubles and... I wanted to help you too."

Kasumi put her hand over Ranma's. "You have Ranma-kun. Believe me. You have."

With any other girl, Ranma might've felt the urge to bolt at the contact. With Kasumi, however, he felt strangely at ease. "I've had time to think about what you said, Kasumi. About what I want, not what the old man wants."

Kasumi's eyes widened a bit. "And? What is it that you want then?"

Ranma looked down, a little embarrassed. "I thought about what the old man wanted. Me taking after the dojo and all. I... I can't think about a life with no martial arts, Kasumi. It's the only thing I've had since I was little." He looked up to meet her gaze. "Please don't be angry, Kasumi. But I really want to keep getting better at the Art. It's the only thing I know."

To his surprise, she simply hugged him. "If that is what makes you happy Ranma-kun, then that's what you should do." She looked him in the eye before smirking mischievously, planting a quick kiss on his cheek. "I just hope your dedication to the art won't keep you from thinking about... other things."

"Kasumi!" Ranma squeaked in shock, stiffening like a board.

Kasumi chuckled a bit. "You're so cute when you are like that Ranma-kun." She walked away with a bit of spring in her step. Once she got into the dojo though she heard someone knocking on the door. She willed herself back to normal and greeted the person at the door. "Yes can I help you?"

"I have a delivery for a Saotome Ranko here, miss," a man said and pointed at a rather large box that sat on the floor.

"I'm Saotome Ranko!"

Kasumi had to move out of the way as the redhead rushed up and signed for the package. "Thank you. Thanks for bringing it, good bye!" She said, ushering the delivery man out before taking the package and bringing it into the house.

"What is your problem?" Akane asked coming from upstairs. She had planed to start training again until she heard Ranko's shouting.

"It's time I found out just what grandfather has in mind for me," Ranko said as she started to tear the box open.

"Rather impatient, aren't we?" Nabiki said trying to act casual, but curious about that box as well.

"You would be too if you had a grandfather like mine," Ranko replied as she finished opening the box and saw exactly what was inside.

"Aw! How cute! He sent you your teddy bear," Nabiki said teasingly, seeing the rather large stuffed animal.

Ranko blushed furiously. _Gramps..._

"Hey, sis! What's that?" Ranma asked as he walked into the house, intent on taking a bath.

Ranko stuffed the bear back into the box. "Oh nothing. Just something grandfather sent me."

"That was a cute teddy bear Ranko. She looked so cute looking," Kasumi said kindly.

"Yeah, he's definately kawaii," Akane added.

"Mr. Buttons isn't kawaii!" Ranko snapped... then blushed even more.

Ranma blinked his eyes. "Teddy bear? Mr. Buttons?"

Ranko buried her head into her teddy bear, not seeing the shame in it now that he knew. "Grandfather gave it to me when I was seven for Christmas. First Christmas we shared together."

The pigtailed martial artist blinked again. "Why did he send it?"

"I have no idea," Ranko replied. "Mr. Buttons I could have done without."

"But isn't he so kawaii looking," Akane teased, enjoying this moment. Ranko shot her a look but she didn't even care.

"You're enjoying the teasing a little bit too much, sis," Nabiki said and grinned. "So do you use it as a pillow or do you sleep hugging him, Ranko-chan?"

"Neither!" Ranko snapped. "Now let's leave Mr. Buttons out of the way for now."

"Mr. Buttons," Akane mimicked.

Ranko growled, putting her teddy bear to the side. "If this is all he sent me, I swear Gramps is going to have some explaining to do."

She went back to the box to see what else was inside.

And found a manila envelope at the bottom.

"Grandfather no baka," Ranko groaned, grabbing the envelope and opening it up. "It never fails. A joke on top with the prize at the bottom."

As she opened it she saw a key and a letter.

"What's the key?" Akane asked.

"And is that letter..." Kasumi started to say.

"It's grandfather's hand writing," Ranko said as she started to read the letter.

_"Ranko-chan,_

_Since I knew you'd be feeling lonely I decided to send Mr. Buttons to keep you company. You always cried for him when you were little, so now that you'll be living on your own for a little while I thought you'd like to have him around. You won't be living entirely alone, for I arranged housing for you at an old acquaintance's building. You'll get your own small apartment, and even close to the Tendo dojo. Please don't give Tokoro-san too much trouble._

_Love, your grandfather."_

"... ... ..." Ranko just stood their mutely before falling down on her rear in shock and disbelief.

"You're leaving?" Ranma asked in a whisper, a look of loss on his face.

"I.. I don't know," Ranko said, confused. "I mean, even if I did take the offer up, its not like I'm leaving, is it?"

Ranma closed his mouth, though he still looked troubled. He'd gotten pretty attached to his sister in the short time they'd been together... and now she was leaving.

Ranko saw his face. "Ranma! I'm not leaving you! If I was, I would have packed my bags and gone home to Kyoto. Geez, why do you have to look like that almost every time you think I'm going away."

"One can only guess," Kasumi said, flashing a look over to Genma who was once again about to go to the refrigerator. She half way unsheathed her katana.

The sound of that motion stopped Genma instantly, and he smiled nervously at the eldest Tendo sister.

Ranma shook his head and mumbled, "I'm going to take a walk." Of course, his taking a walk involved roof-hopping all through the Nerima district. He was gone before any of the others could get a word out.

"Baka," Ranko groaned. "Sorry." She then took off in a rush going after her brother.

---

Finding Ranma wasn't hard; he was visible as a blurring shape over the roof tops ahead. What was difficult was keeping pace with the martial artist, who was going for taller and taller buildings, not heeding the danger of slipping and falling several hundred feet.

"Hey bro! You mind slowing down a bit!" Ranko called after him.

But Ranma was too far away to hear, so he continued his trek through the roofs until he came upon skyscrapers.

"Damn it..." Ranko groaned, as she tried to follow. _How can he pull off stuff like this so easily?_

She finally saw him stop, only that it was on top of the tallest building around... and that last jump was well over forty feet, with a drop that would severely wound her, if not outright kill her.

_"Are you nuts!"_ Ranko shouted.

Ranma finally heard his sister from across the rooftops and looked at her in surprise. "What are you doing here!"

"Going after you, you baka!" Ranko shouted back. "What the hell do you think you are doing!"

"Uh... talking a walk?" A confused Ranma asked.

She barely heard him. "Taking a walk by jumping onto the highest skyscraper there is!" Ranko shouted. "Get your butt down here right now Ranma!"

"Or what?" he challenged, not liking being ordered around.

"Or... Or..." Ranko fumbled around for a right threat but was starting to come up with zip.

Ranma smirked at her, but then took a couple of steps back and rushed forward. Before Ranko could cry for him to stop he was already airborne.

Watching Saotome Ranma in the air was beautiful. There was no other way to describe it. He angled himself in an elegant manner, at the same time taking advantage of both momentum and the wind, and cut the distance between the buildings with an unbelievable ease. He landed on his toes silent like a cat, a grin on his face.

Ranko stared in awe for a moment before frowning. "Showoff."

Ranma's grin widened. He wasn't one for modesty, probably never would be. "You're just jealous."

"Why do you have be an idiot?" Ranko asked. "Do you honestly think I am going to 'leave' you? Granted, I wasn't around for a while, but that was our idiot father's fault. I am not leaving you Ranma. You're stuck with me whether you like it or not. Do you understand that?"

"But you're moving out of the dojo..." Ranma protested weakly, his smile vanished.

"I never said I was moving out. Gramps is just giving me an apartment. And besides we haven't even seen this apartment. Even if I were to go into the apartment, its not like I wouldn't come to the dojo to kick your ass in the morning," Ranko said with a smirk, trying to get through to her brother the way he got to her.

"Not that you could, anyway," Ranma shot back

"I will soon enough," Ranko said to him.

"How? With you training with bacon-breath?" Ranma asked, smirking once more and crossing his arms over his chest.

"What... what!" Ranko's jaw dropped. "How-how did you...I mean, he hasn't even shown up yet...how?"

"Mousse shouted something about me getting what I had coming the other day," Ranma said and grimaced. "The rest I got from Nabiki."

"She'll sell out anyone won't she?"

Ranma shrugged. "It's not that bad."

"Guess not," Ranko returned. "So, how long did it take you to learn chestnuts roasting on an open fire?"

"Once I knew how to learn the technique without burning my hands? A couple of hours," Ranma said. Of course, he'd been trained by Cologne for speed a couple of weeks before that happened.

"And how long did it take you to learn how to do that?" Ranko asked, knowing there was no way it could have taken him a few hours to get the move down.

"Two weeks, more or less. I wasn't as fast as you when I started," Ranma admitted grudgingly. And he would only admit it to Ranko, not to anybody else.

Ranko let out a smirk. "Well tell me, how does this sound to you... KATCHU TENSHIN AMAGURIKEN!"

It was a reversal of what Ranma did to Ranko the first day they met. She was aiming all of her punches around her brother who just stood there feeling the air pressure from the punches.

When the technique was over, and a very satisfied Ranko took a step back, Ranma blinked several times in shock. And then a smirk formed on his face. "You're my little sister, alright. Guess we know who number two will be around here."

"Yeah, you if you aren't careful," Ranko smirked back. "Took me five days to get this down."

"But do you know the weakness already? Or the modified versions to do more damage?" Ranma asked smugly.

Ranko lost her smirk as she saw despite the smugness the truth in his words. Shit.

"You just don't learn the technique, sis. You learn it, improve it and know how to fight it. Let it become a part of you," Ranma said, reciting Genma's words concerning martial arts. "That's what Anything Goes is all about."

"Case you forgot, I disowned that art form when grandfather found me and retrained me," Ranko responded.

"So ya don't take the good points of it?" Ranma asked.

"I was made to focus solely on Tai Chi while learning offensive techniques as a backup incase my opponent wouldn't fall into my hands so to speak," Ranko explained. "Although, I have come to try to adapt every move I learn to fit into my own style."

"Then there's only one thing to do, little sis," Ranma said and smirked. "You get to train with me till you can use the Amaguriken right."

Ranko returned the smirk. "Looking forward to it bro."

Ranma then smirked even more and leaned forward. He pinched Ranko's nose. "Tag! You're it!" And with that he was jumping across the rooftops.

"Oh you are so going to get it bro!" Ranko shouted, jumping after him.

Smiling the entire time.

---

"This is your building?" Ranma asked in obvious surprise. The building was the tallest in the neighborhood and looked expensive.

"Well, grandfather is rich," Ranko stated.

Ranma nodded dubiously.

"Shall we go on in?"

The pigtailed martial artist nodded dubiously and followed his sister. Her apartment was on the top floor, so they had to go up quite a bit of stairs.

Once they reached the apartment, Ranko pulled out the key she had been given, put it in the lock, and opened the door.

A fully furnished apartment greeted the siblings, and Ranko had to admit her grandfather thought of everything. The decoration had a strong Chinese influence, just the way the redhead had been raised.

"All the comforts of home," Ranko breathed it all in and felt like this apartment fit her completely. She turned to look at her brother.

"Nice place," Ranma said neutrally.

"Something on your mind?" Ranko asked.

"Nah... Just looking at the place and..." He blinked. "Is that underwear?"

"Huh?" Ranko blinked but then saw it. "Yes. Yes it is."

"Why would the old man leave that on the table?" Ranma asked curiously as he walked closer, and blinked in surprise. "Teddy bears?"

"Gah!" Ranko gasped. Suddenly she looked down and saw it was HER underwear. She also saw the teddy bears were almost copies of Mr. Buttons. It came to one conclusion. One that had Ranko seeing red. "GRAMPS!"

Ranma turned to his sister, a blush on his face. "Is that yours?"

It certainly looked tiny enough to fit the redhead.

Ranko immediately hid it out of sight. "Stupid Gramps. I hate these jokes of his when he does get around to playing them."

"But why teddy bears?" Ranma asked as he followed her down a hall.

"Because I used to have a collection of teddy bears when I was eight," she said, embarrassed. "About fifty different bears."

"So why are you all red?" Ranma asked.

Ranko shook her head. "I'm in high school now and I am martial artist! I am beyond having a teddy bear collection!"

"But you still love Mr. Buttons," Ranma said and smirked. "You're a big softie inside, sis."

"Shut up!" Ranko retorted, elbowing her brother. "You are never going to let me live this down are you?"

"What are big brothers for?" Ranma asked teasingly and poked Ranko's midsection on a ticklish spot.

"Stop that!" Ranko laughed.

Ranma chuckled but stopped tickling his sister. Instead he looked up and saw the door next to them had Ranko's name written on it. "This is your room, sis."

"I am almost afraid to find out what he did to the room," Ranko muttered. Taking a deep breath, she turned the knob and opened the door.

Ranko's entire collection of teddy bears was in there.

Ranko fell over in shock, disbelief... and anger. "Gramps. You have honestly made this joke rather ugly. Teddy bears are not my life any more. How much sicker can this joke get?"

"I don't know, sis. I think you'd look cute sleeping with those," Ranma said, obviously trying to hold in his laughter.

"Funny bro, funny." Ranko said, not amused at all. "Definitely going to need to give this place a makeover. My room is no where near this bad."

Ranma grinned and continued to stare at Ranko in amusement. It was obvious he was getting a kick out of the situation.

Ranko walked out of the room and down a hall way and then a smirk came to her face. "Oh Ranma...you 'gotta' see this."

Ranma blinked and followed after his sister, frowning slightly as he saw a Japanese sliding door. It was really out of place with the rest of the decor.

"Come on... and take a look at your room."

Ranma entered the room that was to be his and noticed that it was mostly bare, whether it was because Seijuro knew he didn't need much or if he didn't know how Ranma actually wanted it, he didn't know. A futon laid to the side, as did three pictures. The pigtailed martial artist walked over to the pictures and saw that two of them were of Ranma and Ranko when they were little more than toddlers.

The third, however, had Ranma's entire body shake in shock. "Is that...?" He couldn't finish the question, faltering as he stared at Genma holding him as a baby, while Ranko was held by a smiling woman.

"Father... and mother," Ranko said, completing the statement. Seeing as she had for most of her life, her parents only as pictures.

Ranma drank in the sight of his mother and turned to look at Ranko. "You're... you look so much like mom."

"So I've been told, so I have seen," Ranko replied.

It was at that moment that Ranma started to think about what kind of person his grandfather was. It was no secret Seijuro didn't approve of Nodoka, yet he placed a picture of her in his grandson's room anyway. "Uh... are you sure this is my room? Maybe it's for you."

"No. My room's the one with all of the teddy bears, grandfather's own personal joke which makes me know that is my room," Ranko said, putting a hand on his shoulder. "This is your room bro." She walked out of the room then, letting her brother look at the picture for a bit more.

His room... It would certainly take time to get used to the concept. He looked around and smiled faintly. It was bare, just the way he liked it.

---

Dinner at the dojo was simple and peaceful, Soun thought. The Master was no where in sight, his training with Saotome had gone well, Kasumi had done well sparing with Ranma, and here all seven of them were having dinner with one another.

"So, did you look into that apartment Ranko-chan?" Kasumi asked.

Ranko nodded. "Yeah. Which brings me to an announcement." Those words brought everyone's attention to Ranko, who was sitting next to her brother, rather closely. "I've decided to take up the apartment that grandfather has given me and when ever I am there for the night, Ranma will be there with me."

The table instantly became completely silent, with Ranma looking down and away from... Nabiki blinked her eyes in surprise. He was avoiding looking at Kasumi, or at least that she could read from his body language.

"What?" Ranko asked innocently

Ranko's question broke the silence that pervaded the room, and with that chaos ensued. "I FORBID IT!" Genma bellowed at the top of his lungs, knowing that would jeopardize the union of the schools.

He soon found a katana held in front of his face. Katana in question being held by Kasumi. "You forbid it and I'll forbid you eat at this table ever again," the eldest Tendo sister said evenly.

Genma paled at that, backing down almost instantly.

"Kasumi?" Nabiki asked in surprise and turned to regard Akane, who was sure to react badly to this as well.

"What are you doing?" Akane asked.

"Trying to let Ranma-kun and Ranko-chan live their lives however they choose," Kasumi said evenly.

Soun was behind his friend, "Saotome. A word please," he said before dragging him out of the room.

Genma didn't dare refuse going with his friend. Particularly because Kasumi was still holding her katana.

As the discussion progressed Ranma remained silent, looking at the table in contemplation.

"Ranma, why did you want to go through with this?" Akane asked flat out.

The pigtailed martial artist ventured a look at Kasumi, who was looking at him neutrally, and turned back to staring at the table. "Well... I want to spend more time with little sis... And I want to have time to think."

Akane stared at him disbelief... and yet Kasumi looked on with a smile on her face.

---

"Saotome, I would suggest for the future of our plan, that you allow this to happen," Soun said in a low tone.

Genma blinked his eyes. "I must be hearing things, Tendo. I thought I heard you say to allow this to happen," Genma said incredulously.

"I did. It is because Kasumi was the one to threaten you that I feel that this is the right move to make if the houses are to be joined," Soun said sternly.

Genma blinked. "What are you talking about, old friend?"

"What I am saying is that I no longer pin my hopes on Akane marrying Ranma," Soun said with a knowing look in his eyes.

"But Tendo! They are meant for each other!" Genma protested vehemently.

Soun shook his head. "For some time I thought that myself. I was the one who said that, but now I know I was mistaken. Akane does nothing but insult Ranma and doesn't show the proper respect. Ranma too is at fault but that is besides the point."

"But the schools..." Genma started to protest.

"I never said the plan was off, Saotome," Soun said with a smile. "The houses will still be joined. It just won't be who we initially selected."

Genma blinked once more and then his eyes widened in realization. "You mean Kasumi...?"

"You cannot deny the way she favors him ever since the incident," Soun replied. "We have tried too hard to force Akane and Ranma together, only to see our plans burst into flames. Now we simply allow and watch."

"You're right, old friend," Genma said and laughed. "And Kasumi is old enough to start having children already! We'll be having grandchildren before you know it."

Soun clamped Genma's mouth with his hand. "Do you want them to hear us Saotome?" Genma's eyes gave him the answer. "And I am in no immediate hurry to have grandchildren. If they did have one, would you not have to contact your wife? One that would expect certain things from both of your children."

Genma paled but frowned in thought. "Certainly Ranma having children already would appease her, Tendo."

"And what of your other child Saotome, would your wife want her having children?"

Genma winced. "Nodoka wanted Ranko to have a husband and a child of her own by now."

"...I don't think you should let your daughter know that yet," Soun said, concerned for his friend's well being if that ever came out into the open. "Tell me, did you do to Ranko as you did with Ranma over the years, as far as fiancées are concerned?"

Genma started to sweat at that. "Whatever do you mean, Tendo-kun?"

"Forget it," Soun shook his head, already knowing the answer. _I do not envy either of those children. Not one bit._ Looking back to Genma, he said, "For now, let us allow the twins to chose when they wish to stay at that apartment. From there, we observe, and see how things work out from there."

"But how to make it so the boy doesn't just go with one of the other girls? Being here he'll be closer to Kasumi," Genma reasoned.

"Genma," Soun said, using his friend's first name, and his face serious. "I have done much with you over the years. Followed your lead. I dare say you owe me." His friend nodded hesitantly. "I am asking you, trust in me, and we will see the union of our schools."

"... Very well, Tendo. We'll wait and see what happens," Genma admitted grudgingly.

Soun let out a breath and sent a prayer of thanks to Kami-sama. _It worked. I have given them all something they need. Time._ He offered up another prayer though, hoping he would hear it and grant him his wish.

That his daughter would find happiness with the one who had her heart.

**To Be Continued...**

_Author's Note: Sorry for the major delay. But stuff happens. On a positive note, we do have more chapters just about done, just needing get them edited for posting purposes. I'd also like to announce that Drakuzz and I have picked up a new project to work on. It's a Naruto fanfic taking place after the Naruto/Sasuke fight in the Valley of the End, which will take a different twist and the Kyuubi is a big part of it. _

_Next chapter will be a bit of a dozy, believe you me. Seeya next time._


	7. Chapter 7

_**Disclaimer:** I do not own Ranma. Enough said about that. This story is a combined effort between me and Drakuzz. And yes, there was a really long wait between this chapter and the last one but real life can be such a pain that it's not even funny. I can only say that we hope there won't be that long of a delay between postings of chapters in the future._ _I can only say that we hope there won't be that long of a delay between postings of chapters. Without any further delay, we hope that you will all enjoy this chapter._

**Twin Troubles**

**By David Knight and Drakuzz**

**Chapter Seven: Training Day Blues**

"Shampoo, there is a delivery for you to make, child," Cologne said as she poggoed out of the kitchen, easily holding a box of ramen in her hand.

"Okay, Great-grandmother," the Chinese girl said taking the package.

"Shampoo my darling," Mousse came in to try to embrace his love, only to end up meeting the floor, having missed the target of his affections.

Shampoo sniffed derisively and rushed out. She might even be able to go see her Aireen if she was fast about the delivery.

Cologne looked down at Mousse and sighed. "You will never learn, will you?"

"I will never give up on making my love realize her feelings for me," the near-sighted Amazon said.

The old woman gave him a scrutinizing look. "And what feelings are those, boy?"

Mousse felt like he might have said the wrong thing at this time. He was looking for a way out, as he didn't feel like having to deal with the matriarch at the moment. _She favors Shampoo with Saotome without question,_ was his morose thought.

Cologne waited patiently; wanting to hear what the near-sighted Amazon would come up with now.

"... Nothing," Mousse said in defeat. Better to go this route in front of the matriarch than admit to how he felt and get bopped on the head.

"I thought so," Cologne said with a nod of her head and went back to the kitchen.

Mousse slumped his head and got into one of the chairs available. _It's not fair. Why can't I have Shampoo? It's all because of Saotome! Saotome who has a damn harem of girls! If only there was some way to get him attached to just one of them then Shampoo would have no reason to go him..._ He shook his head. _But that wouldn't matter to Amazon law. There must be a way to work with Amazon law that could keep Shampoo from going after Ranma. There has to be for my future with Shampoo!_

"Hello, Mutzu!" A cheerful female voice was heard, with a heavy Chinese accent.

Mousse was woken up from his worries and greeted by someone he didn't expect at all. "It can't be... Razor?"

A Chinese teenager with green hair, who just happened to walk into the Nekohanten seconds ago, smiled. "It's been some time."

"What are you doing here?" Mousse asked.

"Indeed. What brings you to Japan, child?" Cologne asked as she seemed to materialize next to Mousse, her features intent on the new arrival.

Razor blinked at Cologne's act of apparition, but she shrugged it off with relative ease. The elders at the village usually did stuff like that. "I come with a message from the council," she said and the Amazon elder had to admit, grudgingly, that she was a lot more fluent in Japanese than her own granddaughter.

"Please allow me to see it, child," Cologne said as she motioned for a table.

_A message from the council?!_ Suddenly his hopes went up greatly as he wished to know exactly what that message was and how it would help him with his problem.

Cologne read the missive, and much to Mousse's disappointment she didn't share its contents. Instead she assumed a pensive pose. "I will have to ponder this before giving an answer. Is that fine with you, child? To stay in Japan for a couple of days?" Seeing Razor nod she sighed and turned to Mousse. "What are you still doing here, boy?"

"Um... Can I ask what the message was?"

"You can ask," Cologne said neutrally, her face impassive.

"But you won't say, will you?"

"It is important business. Business that doesn't concern a male," the old woman said firmly.

Mousse frowned. "Fine then." He decided to leave the restaurant then, slamming the door on his way out. All to give an impression of his anger. _When you aren't aware, old woman, I'll read that letter myself and find out just what the council decreed._

-----

Nine days, that's how long it took Ryoga to finally make it back to area where he and Ranko were going to fight.

Only thing as he arrived at long last was... That there was no Ranko. "Curse you, Saotome Ranko! I knew it! I knew you were just like your... huh?"

That's when he noticed the multitude of signs with notes on them. Each one having a date on them. He looked at the one that was dated today.

_'Ryoga._

_This is now the eighth note I've made. I still can't believe your sense of direction is this bad. Now I am really glad that I put in that order so that you won't get lost any more. Anyway I left some food in the bag that's below the sign so you'd have something fresh to eat. I'm probably in school now so just stay right where you are until four P.M. _

_In case you don't have a clock or watch, I happen to have included one in the bag with the food that keeps perfect time._

_If you are reading this Ryoga, I will repeat... Keep still until I get out of school and meet you here!_

_Ranko.'_

Ryoga blinked his eyes. This was definitely a new one for him. Not knowing what to do right now, the lost boy decided to keep standing there.

He was tempted to reach into the bag, but the note said for him to keep still. His stomach grumbling in protest made him take the risk of moving.

He shrugged and sat down where he was, opening the bag and taking out a couple of rice balls. He didn't even reach for the watch. Waiting shouldn't be a problem.

-----

Ranko looked at her watch and was walking slowly, though making sure she made it on time. She had in her backpack her sword, some rice balls and that special package that had just arrived yesterday. _If he gets here today he will need to keep from getting lost. I really need a regular sparring partner other than my brother._ As it was she had spare posts at the lot to use in case he didn't show up.

As she rounded the corner, her eyes went wide as she dropped the bag. "Ryoga!"

The lost boy, who was sitting down next to the note as to not to get lost, looked up. "Ranko..."

Ranko immediately hugged him. "You big lug! You finally made it! By Kami-sama it's about time!" She then realized maybe this was too enthusiastic of a greeting as she broke it off. "Er, sorry. Hope that wasn't too forward of me."

Ryoga, who was blushing furiously, scratched the back of his head and laughed. "Don't worry about it!"

"Anyway, before we go out to spar, I got something for you," Ranko said going through her backpack and produced a black device. "Ta-da!"

"... What is it?" Ryoga asked.

"It's a Global Positioning System, GPS for short," Ranko said giving it to him and turning it on. "Now with this, the only way you could ever get lost is if you didn't read the directions or if you ran out of juice in the batteries and forgot to change them."

Ryoga gave Ranko a blank stare.

"... What?" Ranko blinked. "I am basically giving you something that will keep you from getting lost for days. Does that not click?"

"Uh... Thanks..." Obviously it did not click, but he thanked her anyway.

Ranko sighed. "Just promise me you aren't going to throw it away. I spent fifty thousand yen getting that for you."

He nodded and stood up, his height making him tower over the small redhead.

"We have a lot of missed time," Ranko said. "My brother has just gotten better being able to train with Kasumi."

Ryoga grumbled under his breath. "At this rate we'll never give him what he deserves."

"Which is why I got you that and which is why I have been going to get training for Elder Cologne while you have been a way," Ranko stated.

Ryoga nodded. "So what did Cologne teach you?"

"Chestnuts roasting on an open fire."

The lost boy seemed depressed at that. "Ranma already knows that move." He was expecting a technique his adversary didn't know.

"I am learning from her from the ground up," Ranko stated. "I never said it was going to be an easy road either. For now though," she slipped into her stance. "What say we stop talking, and start doing."

Ryoga was a little hesitant about fighting this girl, she was a real girl after all, but to defeat Ranma... He raised his hands into his ready stance.

Ranko decided to throw the first punch, this time, finding Ryoga didn't even block... And her hand hit an unmovable object. "What the hell?"

Ryoga took a hold of Ranko's wrist and, with incredible strength, lifted her off the ground so she dangled in front of him. If Ranma's fighting style was fluid like water, Ryoga's was hard as the mountain.

_Okay. This, I think I can work with a bit more than my brother._ Ranko smiled to herself. While overwhelmingly powerful, it was similar to those that had tried to overpower her. The small redhead wasn't stronger than a lot of the fighters she'd faced down before and still beat them. She decided to fight force with repulsion. As she was hanging up in the air, she worked to get her momentum swinging downwards, her free arm crawling down to grab onto his shirt and worked into slamming him into the ground.

Ryoga blinked in shock at that. How the hell did she manage that?! Not that it hurt, but the fact that she so easily flipped him around...

"KATCHU TENSHIN AMAGURIKEN!" Ranko called out, trying to see how well the Amaguriken would work against Ryoga. _If one punch didn't do anything, let's see how a few hundred work out!_

To her surprise Ryoga took a hold of her head, ignoring the punches, and slammed her hard against the ground, making the air to explode out of her lungs.

_Okay... That was new..._ Ranko groaned as she felt Ryoga still have a hold of her head. His legs however were still open to assault. _Okay. New plan. Attack at the root. _She decided to use the Amaguriken, though this time the punches worked to make him topple over. Ranko then used that momentum as part of a spin that she used to slam Ryoga's own body into the ground, then jumping away from him by pressing her feet against his chest.

Ryoga stood up as if nothing was wrong, making Ranko wonder just how her brother could fight this walking tank, and started to move onto Ranko once more. It was obvious now that if the fight came down to endurance Ryoga would win hands down.

_How do I fight this guy?_ Ranko asked herself as she was in a defensive stance and yet her mind was conflicted. She had been the best in her art back in Kyoto. Here, it was like she was a beginner. The challenge of rising to face people stronger than her she always had. But just how could she handle fighters like her brother and Ryoga, where the gap in ability seemed almost like the gap between Akane's skill and her own.

"You don't know Ranma's Amaguriken yet, do you?" Ryoga asked. Hating to give away a weakness, but since this was a sparring match to prepare against Ranma it would be better if he taught her a little as well.

"Not entirely," Ranko admitted.

Ryoga nodded. "You know why I ignored your punches before?"

"Because you're built like a tank?" Ranko quipped.

"And because your punches aren't on one point only," Ryoga finished, grudgingly admitting Ranma was very fast to learn in his fights. That was probably the one thing he wouldn't be able to defeat in his nemesis. He'd have to be so superior Ranma didn't have a chance to think during their fight.

Ranko stared for a bit before slapping herself in the face. "I can't believe I didn't see that! Damn!"

"What else do you know Ranma does?" Ryoga asked. Maybe before sparring they should know their enemy better. He hadn't fought Ranma for a while.

"What do you mean? I haven't seen him break out any moves save the Amaguriken. He's been getting faster by avoiding by the narrowest of margins Kasumi's katana and she's gotten really good at it," Ranko stated. A smile came to her face. "I love how she can just boss Father around with it. It scares him for some odd reason, but I am not one to complain. Not in that area anyway."

That seemed to upset Ryoga. "He's _faster_?" Ranma could dance circles around Ryoga even before what Ranko said. Now it would be impossible to hit him. What good was all his strength if he couldn't land a single blow?

"Yeah. It sucks, doesn't it?" Ranko admitted. "Which is why I think we need to work on specifics. I need to get stronger, you need to get faster." She decided to stand down then. They weren't going to do more sparing until they came up with a plan. "And since you have fought my brother the most, I'd like you to tell me everything you know he can do. Everything."

Ryoga was only too happy to oblige. Anything to take the pigtailed martial artist down.

-----

Cologne was in her room in deep thought for hours before finally getting up, heading back to work in the kitchen while leaving the letter Razor had left behind in the room.

Not even a minute later Mousse entered the room through the window. He had used his tools to make certain his entry remained a secret, as well as every precaution for the old bat not finding out he was here.

_If she catches me, I am dead._ He knew in more ways than one. But he still had to find out what that letter said.

As he took it in his hands he gulped and opened, filled with hope.

'_Nice try, Mutzu. Now come downstairs for your punishment.'_

Mousse blanched. _What... But how?_ Groaning, he should have known he wouldn't have fooled the matriarch that easily and decided to get what was coming to him.

-----

Akane walked over to the Nekohanten and found Mousse, as a duck, having to take out the garbage. _I don't want to know._ She shook her head, knowing the Amazon's business was their own business.

She simply walked in the restaurant, looking for the one she came to find.

The restaurant had a few patrons, with Shampoo and a green-haired girl tending the tables while Cologne worked in the kitchen.

_Another Amazon!_ Akane's brain screamed, instantly recognizing the clothing and Chinese features of the girl. She could already imagine the headaches involved now if she stayed. Now, though, she waited until the girls were done with tables before making her move.

Shampoo did notice Akane coming into the restaurant, but did nothing to give away that fact.

Akane waited until had finished with her table before approaching her. "Can we talk?"

The Amazon girl turned to look at Akane curiously. "What kitchen-destroyer want?"

Akane bit back the urge to snap at that comment. Instead she said what she wanted. "I want to fight you."

Shampoo blinked her eyes in confusion. "Stupid-girl have death-wish? Go home and play with bricks."

"I don't have a death-wish and I am done playing!" Akane snapped. "Why is it so hard for any of you to take me seriously?!"

"Maybe because you no is real warrior," Shampoo suggested innocently, wanting to see Akane lose her control once again.

To the side Razor watched the interaction trying to hide her interest. She'd heard from Shampoo stories about the people in Nerima, and in those stories Akane was mentioned more than once.

Akane's fist was clenched, but she let it go. "I am not a warrior. That's not what I want, unlike you. What I want... What I need is to test my skills and prove myself."

Shampoo sobered at that. "You is not choosing opponent wisely," she stated seriously. Martial arts being important to her she had to take Akane seriously... Somewhat seriously, she amended.

"Who else is left to accept?" Akane questioned. "I've already tried Ukyo. Ranma won't take me seriously, I've already lost to Ranko, and I don't _dare_ try Kodachi, she's too insane."

Shampoo pursed her lips in thought. "What kitchen-destroyer want to prove? Shampoo win fight in five seconds."

"... If that happens, it tells me just how bad my skills are," Akane said grating her teeth as she stared at the Amazon. "Win or lose, I have to know my level."

Shampoo nodded seriously. "Shampoo give Akane what she want after work."

"Meet me at the dojo," Akane told her. She started to walk away but stopped, not facing her as she said, only loud enough for Shampoo to hear her. "... Thank you." Akane walked out of the restaurant.

Shampoo blinked her eyes and shrugged, returning to waiting tables.

-----

Kasumi was outside doing some light housework. She was starting to find what she wanted but there were still chores that needed to be taken care of. Especially when it's your own laundry you are doing, she mused as she put her shirt out to dry and caught sight of a redhead. "Ranko-chan welcome... Home?"

Ranko panted, her clothing ripped, favoring one leg as her body showed she was beaten up. Kasumi went to her but Ranko held her hand out. "I... Get in the dojo, under my own two legs."

Kasumi didn't have the heart to say other wise as the redhead got herself inside the house before falling down and leaning against the wall.

Nabiki, who was reading a magazine on the couch, rolled her eyes. "Bad day, Ranma-kun?"

"Wrong twin, Nabiki-chan," Ranko groaned.

Now the middle Tendo sister sat up with a blink. "Ranko-chan? What happened?"

"Training with Ryoga... It's definitely not what I expected," Ranko muttered, catching her breath. "He's a walking tank."

"Ryoga did this to you?" Nabiki asked as she inwardly cringed. If Ranma saw his sister in this state, without her first planning for damage control, he would go on a rampage.

"I asked him to fight me seriously," Ranko said, standing up again. "I don't regret it at all." She smirked then. "I managed to get at least two-three good shots in."

Nabiki nodded and turned to Kasumi. "Can you help clean her up, Kasumi? I need to make sure Ranma-kun doesn't get a chance to see her." At least not yet, she added to herself. This turn of events could be used to her advantage...

"Of course, Nabiki," Kasumi said, helping Ranko up. "Come on, Ranko-chan. Let's get you cleaned up."

Ranko didn't argue as she walked with Kasumi into the bathroom, passing Akane on the way in. Akane stared then looked at Nabiki. "What just happened?"

"It seems, dear sister, that you're not the only one wanting to improve and prove something to Ranma-kun," Nabiki said cryptically.

"Um, speaking of that, we'll be having company soon. Amazon company."

Nabiki raised both eyebrows at that. "And why is that?"

"I asked Shampoo to fight with me," Akane said evenly. "She agreed."

Nabiki sighed and rubbed her temples. "Akane-chan... Just what are you going to get from that? To improve you need to spar with someone close to your own level."

"Who do we know that is close to my level here? No one!" Akane snapped. "I need to know Nabiki. I have to know where I stand." She walked off, intent on getting changed and ready.

Nabiki simply shook her head and decided that keeping Ranma away from the dojo would be a good idea. A _very_ good idea.

-----

Two hours later Kasumi was back outside, picking up the laundry. It had been a real chore to clean Ranko up and also make sure that if Ranma saw Ranko, he wouldn't think she was a brutal fight. She had to admire the will the redhead to go through with it. I've only recently gotten into their world. And yet, I can understand how they feel about honor and their need to prove and push themselves. I don't think I ever truly understood it back then as well as I do now.

Folding the last piece of laundry, she saw a familiar and an unfamiliar face. "Greetings, Shampoo. Who is your friend? Another one of your cousins?"

Shampoo smiled at Kasumi's greeting. "Hello, Nice-nice girl. This not Shampoo's cousin. She Amazon healer Razor."

Said girl nodded to the eldest Tendo sister in respect.

"Pleasure to meet you Razor," Kasumi gave a bow to the girl. "Akane is waiting in the dojo. I hope you'll be serious with her when you do spar."

Shampoo bowed back and went to the dojo, wanting to get this over with so she could spend some time with her Aireen.

Kasumi eyed Razor curiously. "So Razor, what do you know as a healer in your village? Do you know how to fight or are you limited only to healing?"

"All Amazons know how to fight. Unlike Shampoo, I'm not a full warrior," the girl answered with a much better Japanese than Shampoo's, even if heavily accented.

"You know your Japanese well," Kasumi said.

"Us healers usually have more work with books," Razor said and smiled. "And I've found myself studying some Japanese scrolls."

"Why don't you come on in? Would you like some tea?"

"If you don't mind," Razor said, also interested in seeing the man that was to be Shampoo's husband, since he made such an impression on the proud Amazon girl.

Kasumi brought Razor into the house, picking up her katana, which she had left in the doorway. She didn't let go of it as they went into the kitchen. As she prepared tea, the katana remained close by, if not in her hands.

The Amazon was quick to notice such, but coming from a society of Amazon women she didn't think much of it. Kasumi's passive behavior didn't seem like the one of a warrior, yet at the same time the ease with which she held it made the Amazon realize she was probably like some of the other healers in the village. Passive but still warriors.

"Do you practice with a weapon or are you a hand-to-hand specialist?" Kasumi asked as she set the tea down for the two of them, trying to keep the conversation going.

"Several, though I'm most skilled with a staff," Razor said and took a sip of the tea. She blinked her eyes and took another sip. "This is really good."

"Thank you. Having spent a decade as a housewife, one would think you could make a perfect cup of tea," Kasumi replied, taking a sip of her own.

"You're already married?" Razor asked in surprise, wondering how young she was to be a housewife for a decade.

Kasumi shook her head. "No. I have simply been a housewife in the place of my mother who died ten years ago. I fulfilled all of her duties."

The Amazon nodded in understanding and decided not to pursue the subject.

"I have recently, however, found a way to break through that binding and am starting to find a new purpose for myself," Kasumi said, taking a sip of her tea with one hand while the other firmly held the katana tightly.

"It's good that you do. Serving the family is a man's job," Razor said and wondered about the girl's openness with a complete stranger.

"I'd say it would be both a man and woman's job," Kasumi replied. "To raise a family..." They heard the sound of a crash against a wall.

Razor didn't look surprised. "Fight over."

Kasumi simply nodded. Shampoo was more skilled than Ukyo. She knew her sister had to have lost.

-----

Akane was picking herself off the ground, limping and barely making herself able to stand. She had tried as hard as she could, used everything she knew, and yet Shampoo tossed her around like a child. Her performance in the face of that was absolutely pathetic.

"Akane should stop now. She no good to keep fighting, yes?" Shampoo asked as she stood a couple of feet away, not even breathing hard. Not even bothering to assume a fighting stance.

Akane stared down at Shampoo, looking at her furiously. She wanted to fight, she wanted to wipe that smug look off her face.

And yet she knew she'd only end up as unconscious as Ukyo made her when she continued to fight. "... I submit," she whispered, falling to her knees in defeat.

Shampoo nodded and bowed slightly to Akane. "Akane now know what she wanted."

"Yes... I am pathetic," Akane whimpered.

"You'd be pathetic if you kept fighting."

Both Akane and Shampoo turned to see Ranko standing in the doorway. "You have improved and if you can't see what you have improved in then I'll ask you this, 'Do you think you are the best now?'"

Akane had her head bowed still.

"There will always be someone better than us. Someone even better than my brother exists or will exist one day. The path of a martial artist is to improve oneself, but before that, one has to accept the flaws one has."

Akane opened her eyes and saw Ranko's hand held out.

"If you are willing to listen and learn, then I will train with you, at your level and help you," Ranko said evenly. "All you have to do, is ask."

Akane stared at the offered hand. An offer of help for herself. Part of her was screaming to reject it. To keep doing her own thing. To improve her own way.

And then there was this other voice that had grown over the last few weeks. The voice of reason and one that was telling her to accept her faults and her problems.

To accept help when offered and not be too proud to refuse it. "... Please, help me." She said, holding hand out.

"Yeah," Ranko said softly, taking the hand and helping Akane to her feet.

"Shampoo see now. Ranko-chan is too-too nice, like Kasumi," Shampoo said with a smile.

"I'm not like Kasumi, Shampoo," Ranko said, looking back at the Amazon.

"That what Ranko-chan say," Shampoo said and sprang out of the dojo in search of her Aireen happily.

Akane stared at Ranko for some time, not saying anything. "So... What now?"

"You practice Anything Goes, correct? Your side in any event?"

"What I do know," Akane muttered.

"From what I understand, the practitioner is supposed to incorporate and adapt to all styles thrown at them," Ranko said, shifting into a tai chi meditation stance. "Lesson one, grasshopper. You use too much rage. So we are going to start you off by learning how to calm down." She stared back at Akane. "And don't give me that look. I asked if you wanted me to train you, you agreed and now you gotta do what I tell you."

Akane shook her head and tried to mimic Ranko's stance. "Okay. Now what?"

"Now you just move exactly as I do and don't do anything else unless I say other wise." Ranko said as she started to instruct the youngest of the Tendo sisters.

-----

It was much later in the day when Ranma finally arrived home. When she did, even Shampoo had given up on waiting for her Aireen.

"Good evening Ranma-kun," Kasumi greeted him. "How was your day?"

Ranma smiled at seeing the eldest of the Tendo sisters with her ever-present smile. "Did a lot of thinking, Kasumi. How about ya?"

"I had a nice talk with Razor. She's a very nice and cultured Amazon," Kasumi said.

Ranma blinked her eyes at that. "Another Amazon is here?"

"She came with Shampoo to the dojo. She and I talked while Shampoo and Akane had a fight," Kasumi said casually.

Ranma instantly tensed at that. "Shampoo and Akane fought?!"

Kasumi nodded. "Akane's still in the dojo. Has been for the last four hours."

Ranma didn't even wait for Kasumi to finish before rushing to the dojo to check on the girl.

What she found was Akane AND Ranko together. Ranko was going through the motions of a tai chi meditation, eyes closed, while Akane was following her lead, eyes open to imitate the motions.

That... Certainly wasn't what Ranma was expecting to see.

Ranko then opened her eyes and moved into a standing position. "We're done."

Akane fell to her rear, exhausted. "I never knew... Mediation exercises... Could be so tiring..."

"Go take a breather. We'll pick up where we left off tomorrow," Ranko said to her.

Akane didn't argue as she got up off the ground. "Hi Ranma," she said as she passed Ranma by.

Ranma could only blink in surprise as the Tendo sister passed right by her. She didn't look too bad after a fight against Shampoo. "Sis... Did she really fight Shampoo?"

Ranko nodded. "Yeah. But she had the common sense to give up before Shampoo knocked her as unconscious as Ukyo did." She added then, "Sis. What happened? Ladle lady get you on the way home?"

Ranma frowned at the sis remark. "Ha ha. Very funny, shorty. But yeah... She did."

"You and water," Ranko shook her head. "Just what is up with that, honestly."

Ranma shrugged her shoulders. "I'd like to know too."

"So, what you doing now? Here to pick up some clothes, maybe have some dinner with Kasumi before we head on over to our other home for the evening?" Ranko asked.

Ranma blinked once again, but now she blushed slightly in embarrassment. "I... Forgot we're not going to live here."

"You forgot?" Ranko muttered. "How could you forget that?"

Ranma frowned. "Well, forgive me. I've stayed in the Tendo Dojo longer than I can remember staying anywhere."

"Sorry," Ranko apologized. "Sometimes I forget you didn't have a normal childhood. I at least had a semi-normal one." She stared at her sister again. "Are you going to get the hot water or should I do it for you? Unless you want to spend the night stuck like that."

"I was about to do that when Kasumi told me Akane fought Shampoo," Ranma grumbled cutely.

Ranko smirked. For what her brother did teasing her when they fought, she always got him back when he was her sister. "Come on. Let's go get you presentable and have some dinner before we leave."

-----

"Thanks a bunch, Kasumi," Ranma thanked the girl as he placed the kettle down, now back to his male form.

"Not a problem at all, Ranma-kun," Kasumi said as she sat at the table with everyone else.

The pigtailed martial artist did his best to ignore the look of satisfaction on Genma's face, it usually only brought him trouble, and turned to his food. He was rather hungry.

"So how was your training session today, Ranko-chan?" Nabiki asked innocently, knowing the girl wouldn't want her brother to find how that turned out. It was fun to see the Saotomes squirm when on shaky ground. That and she had thought for a couple of hours about the approach she wanted to take to this new turn of events.

"It went well," Ranko said softly, enjoying her tea.

Nabiki raised an eyebrow at the calmness with which Ranko took it. "It's good you didn't get hurt. I'd hate to think of you bruised and battered..." She trailed off with a smirk as Ranma's chopsticks snapped in his hand upon hearing that.

Ranko gave Nabiki a glare that told her in no uncertain terms, 'Try it and you're through'.

The middle Tendo sister just smiled back at the redhead before returning to her own food.

Ranma turned to look at his sister intently, then. Nabiki's words obviously igniting his over-protective instincts. "Did Ryoga return today?"

She knew couldn't lie to him. He'd know. "Yeah. He did. What of it?"

"Did you two spar?" He asked, his eyes narrowing dangerously.

"Yeah."

Ranma growled out the next question. "Did he hit you?"

Ranko rolled her eyes at him. "Well I don't think it could be considered a spar if we didn't hit each other now could it?"

"I see..." He returned to his foot calmly.

Too calmly...

"Don't EVEN try it," Ranko growled, glaring right at him and holding his right arm.

"Try what?" Ranma asked unconvincingly.

"I asked Ryoga to fight with me as he fights with you," Ranko growled, her eyes fixed on his. "I know the two of you fight against each other, but if you have any respect for me, you'll do absolutely nothing to interfere with our training or I swear I'll pack my bags and head back to Kyoto. _Am I clear?_"

Ranma's mouth dropped open in shock at that, his eyes wide as he stared at his redheaded sister.

The others on the table could do nothing but watch in shock, expecting Ranma's reaction to the statement. Genma was even a little hopeful that the redhead would indeed be leaving.

"... Thanks for dinner, Kasumi..." Ranma said tightly, some emotion creeping into his voice. After that he shook his sister's hand off, stood up and started outside.

Ranko stood up walked over to Genma and glared right at him, her eyes burning with anger and rage. She could barely contain herself from striking him but what good would hitting him do, really?

"I hate you. You are my father, and yet I hate you so very much for everything you have ever done to me! But even more so, I hate you for what you did to my brother, especially the part where you made him treat women as if they are china dolls!" She said, letting Genma have it verbally with every emotion she had. She looked over the Tendos. "... Sorry for the disruption." She said before she too walked out of the house.

_Now we're getting somewhere,_ Nabiki thought with an inward smile as Genma tried to regain his dignity after being unable to defend himself from his daughter. She excused herself from the suddenly quiet table and walked to her room, thinking that Ranko was the perfect tool to make Ranma open his eyes to the realities of life. She only needed a little push for his unreal view of the world to upset her enough to do something about it.

"Nice gamble, but you better pray it doesn't come back to haunt you," Kasumi's quiet voice reached her ears

"This is something that has to happen, sis," Nabiki said, feeling entirely justified. Particularly now that Ranma was spending so much time with her eldest sister.

"Maybe, but that doesn't mean I'm particularly thrilled about your methods in this instance," Kasumi replied, frowning.

"And how would you go about it?" Nabiki asked. "Talking? We both know Ranma-kun is so hard-headed he needs something traumatic to change."

"I just hope there's not something to regret later," Kasumi sighed as Nabiki continued her way to her room.

-----

"Damn it!" Ranko shouted she made her way to the apartment. She hadn't been able to catch her brother since he left the dojo and it infuriated her. She wanted to talk to him and help him understand... "Huh?"

The apartment was empty, which didn't come as much of a surprise yet she saw a note on the kitchen table. She picked it up and read it, instantly recognizing her brother's horrible handwriting.

'_Going on a training trip. Need to think._

_Ranma.'_

"... Baka," Ranko whispered softly as a single tear fell down her face.

**To Be Continued...**


	8. Chapter 8

_**Disclaimer:**__ I do not on Ranma. Enough said about that. This story is a collaboration effort between me and Drakuzz. Again sorry for long wait. Real life creeps in every so often and makes a mess of things. Hope this chapter is to your liking. Without any further delay, we hope that you will all enjoy this chapter._

**Twin Troubles  
****By David Knight and Drakuzz**

**Chapter Eight: Understanding, Conflict, and Reconciliation**

Checking the address she had written in the paper before walking out of her home, the young woman confirmed that it was indeed the place she looked for. Taking a deep breath she knocked on the door to the apartment softly. It had taken her a couple of days to think things through, and she knew this was what was needed.

A few moments later, the door opened. Kasumi saw a redhead in a light blue sleeping gown with frazzled hair and a face that at the moment looked very tired, yet her eyes showed she hadn't been getting much sleep lately. Yawning, she raised a hand to cover her mouth. "Morning, Kasumi-chan."

"Ranko-chan," Kasumi greeted, clearly concerned for the redhead. "It isn't exactly proper for a young lady to answer the front door in her sleepwear," she admonished lightly.

"Eh?" Ranko muttered looking down at herself. She then looked back at Kasumi.

As if magic, she became completely awake. Her eyes comically grew as big as a cartoon character's and her jaw dropped. "OH MY... Kasumi! I'm so sorry! I didn't..." She stammered, totally in disbelief she was this messed up. She had never done anything like this before. "Just stay there while... no! Um, come in and have a seat while I go get shower and changed!" she said as she ran back to her room, only to run right into the living room sofa and tumble over it hitting the ground face first. "Not good! Not good!"

"Oh my! Are you alright?" Kasumi asked as she allowed herself into the apartment, instantly going to the redhead's side. She had been worried about Ranma, but right now she realized she should've come to check up on Ranko sooner.

"I'm fine! I am fine! Just let me clean up!" Ranko said trying to scramble to her feet. "I know it's wrong to look like this when guests are here! I'm just..." She let the tears come down now as she slammed her fist against the wood floor. "Kami-sama, I am such an idiot."

Letting out a soft sigh the eldest of Soun's daughters reached out and gathered the redhead in her arms. The Saotomes were all so emotional, she thought to herself. It was because of those strong emotions that they had such a magnetism, but at the same time they felt more strongly when hurt.

"I just wanted so much to for him to treat me like we were equal," Ranko cried. "Why can't he see it? Does everything have to be his way? Is that the only way I can be with him?"

Kasumi patted Ranko in the back comfortingly, something she hadn't needed to do with her sisters for some time now. "Ranko-chan... In the time you've been here Ranma-kun has changed. He's clearly making an effort," she said and smiled slightly. "You can't expect miracles, though."

"You're right," Ranko agreed. "But the look in his eyes when I told him I was training with Ryoga, I thought for sure he was going find Ryoga and beat him until he got him to swear not to fight me. I just said what I did because if he succeeded in doing that, then I'd never catch up to him. I'd never get him to think of me as equal to him... That I'll just be another girl to him."

"And you were right to tell him how you feel, Ranko-chan..." Kasumi said and trailed off. She didn't know if the redhead was ready to hear this, specially not in her current state of mind. She instead decided to broach the subject in a different manner. "Ranma-kun sometimes has a tendency to not see the obvious, but it's not his fault. It has a lot to do with how he was raised."

"... I know this might sound odd coming from me, but is it really too much to blame everything bad that has come from my brother on our father?" Ranko asked.

Kasumi sighed once more at this. "I'm sure Saotome-san had good intentions with what he did, even if his methods were less than... Fatherly," she settled for the word and looked at the redhead. "As I was saying, Ranma-kun does need to have you help him understand your feelings, yet I think you should try and see it from his point of view too."

"How am I supposed to do that? Go to some cursed spring and get a boy curse?" Ranko asked in jest.

"Oh heavens no!" Kasumi said with an amused smile. "That would make your family life truly interesting, but no. Tell me, how do you feel about your brother now that you're reunited with him?"

"He's stubborn, annoying, a rather big men are better than girls type person... but he's got a good heart. He cares about people to the point of forgetting about himself."

Kasumi nodded. "And what would you do if someone hurt him?"

She narrowed her eyes. "I'd make them pay for everything they did..." She trailed off as she realized Ranma would have felt the same way.

The Tendo young woman nodded. "I see you understand. Ranma-kun has always been overprotective of us. Now imagine how he must feel about you."

"It must terrify him... The thought of me getting hurt. Doesn't it?" Ranko asked.

Kasumi nodded, glad the redhead was starting to understand it. "I've been talking to him lately. I don't believe I'm betraying his confidence by saying this," the young woman said and looked at Ranko straight in the eye. "Ranko-chan, he adores you. He's been so happy to have you with him. And yes... The thought of you getting hurt scares him."

Ranko lowered her head. As much as she wanted her brother to understand her, she had not tried to understand him as well as she could have. Her first impulse was to go find him and tell him she understood, but that would not only not work, it would be insulting. He had said he needed time to think. She was going to give it. "Has this sort of thing happened to him before?"

"Never like this, for all I know," Kasumi admitted, thinking back on her conversations with Ranma. He'd been so happy lately, if a little confused about what he wanted out of life. But at the same time, even with all his present confusion, he'd shown interest in her life and offered to help if he could. She sighed deeply and looked at the redhead with a hint of sadness, she loathed doing this but it was something that the redhead needed to hear. "Ranko-chan..."

"Yes. Kasumi?"

"Ranko-chan..." Kasumi started once again, feeling that she needed to air this out so the redhead truly understood what caused Ranma to react like this. It had taken her surprisingly little time to realize why he did, probably because of how he confided in her. "Do you remember the promise you made to your brother?"

"The one I made where I told him I would always be there for him," She said before hanging her head. "And I went about and told him if he didn't do as I said I would leave him."

The eldest Tendo daughter nodded with a sigh, patting Ranko on the back. "I know you were upset and you didn't mean it... But for Ranma-kun that sounded a lot like the many promises he's been made over his life only to have them broken. He probably was shaken and confused that you would do it."

Ranko sighed. She was trying so hard to change the way he thought of her, she didn't think of the consequences. "What should I do?"

"Well... For starters you need to take a bath," Kasumi said teasingly, wrinkling her nose. Seeing the expression on the redhead's face she smiled warmly. "Ranma-kun might have been upset when he left, but he's one of the most forgiving individuals you'll come across. So give him the time he needs and apologize when he comes back. I'm certain he'll feel bad about hurting you."

"I know I do," Ranko said sadly, knowing she had made a mistake. She wanted to apologize, but Kasumi was right. She had to give her twin his space. When he came back, she'd make amends. She looked at Kasumi, feeling better than she had in days. "Thank you, Kasumi."

The older woman smiled. "No thanks are needed, Ranko-chan. Now about that bath..."

-----

_Two weeks later..._

Soun finished his morning spar with Genma and took to survey his household. It wasn't exactly a cheerful sight.

Kasumi was depressed, however instead of dealing with it through cleaning, she had gone through improving herself even further in her swordplay. She had taken on Ranko in duels to improve her technique against an actual opponent, as she hadn't had that yet.

Speaking of the red-haired girl, she had not spent a single night here since the incident two weeks ago when Ranma left. She trained with Kasumi, Akane and even Ryoga, as one could tell from her injuries. She still went to school of course but she was pushing herself to limits Soun wasn't sure she possessed, but if she didn't already possess them, he was certain she was trying to make them for herself. She also didn't speak to Genma when they were in the same room, only glared at him and left.

Ranma had left on training trips before, but never on terms like these. Usually it was to improve over a challenger or learn a new technique.

Looking into the Dojo, he saw Akane practicing a Taichi meditation exercise Ranko had drilled into her. It had become second nature to her. The anger he felt within his daughter was becoming less and he knew he had Ranko to thank for this.

_When I feel Akane is ready and when I am ready, I will take up her training and do it properly this time,_ Soun said to himself.

Genma was getting something out of the fridge, then stopped as he saw Kasumi was nearby and almost facing him. Yet she didn't move at all. It was like she was staring out into space... Or in deep thought.

"A yen for your thoughts, sis," Nabiki said as she sat down next to her older sister.

"It's been two weeks now," Kasumi said, letting out a sigh. "He's never been gone like this before."

Nabiki's features softened at that. "He'll be back, sis. Ranma-kun just needs to get his act together." Left unsaid was that it would probably take the pigtailed martial artist longer, since he was inept at anything emotional or social.

"I hope so," Kasumi said, letting out another sigh before noticing Genma eating... "Hey! I just baked that cake!" She immediately unsheathed her katana.

Genma had the good sense to make a break for it. Even if Kasumi had improved, he was still faster on his feet than she was.

-----

"Thanks for lunch Ukyo," Ranko said, enjoying the chef's food, though her face showed her depression as well as exhaustion.

"You sleeping well, sugar?" Ukyo asked with a frown of concern. Out of all the fiancées she was the one that took Ranma's disappearance the better. She knew he would come back, and quite possibly need a friend when he did, so why grieve over something he needed. "You look like you haven't slept in days."

"I am training with Akane and Kasumi everyday and so far I've had nine out of the last fourteen days where Ryoga manages to meet me at the training spot." Ranko stated. "I am not sure if to be annoyed or grateful that he still gets lost even with a GPS."

"You might want to slow down a little, Ranko-chan. Too much more of this and you could hurt yourself," Ukyo warned.

"Yeah... I think you might be right," Ranko muttered, yet gave a grin. "Yet even still, I can feel how much I've improved since he left. I still have a while to get to his level, but I will get there. Someday."

"And how go your studies?" Ukyo asked, knowing that the redhead didn't have enough time to study and train as hard as she was doing.

"I'm lucky that there is stuff I learned from the previous year being taught this year in your school," Ranko replied. "But that can only last for so long. I'm going to need to cut back, I know that if I want to get into a good college." She shook her head as she put it on the table. "How did my brother do all this fighting and not worry at all about school?"

"Have you seen Ranchan's grades?" Ukyo asked seriously. "It'll be a miracle if he graduates from High School."

"Then I must be doing good to keep getting A's. That and being damn lucky."

"A word of advice, Ranko-chan," the chef said as she leaned forward over the grill. "Don't try too hard to reach Ranchan's level. That's mostly how he's gotten so many enemies."

Ranko took that seriously. "... You may have a point there. I was already the best in Kyoto before I came here and I still have enemies back there."

"Ranchan doesn't know any other way to live," Ukyo said with a sigh and then smiled slightly. "Besides, I hate to say this, but none of us is reaching Ranchan's level. Or at least not for very long. Do you have any idea how many times he's improved to defeat a particularly hard opponent?"

"Um... No."

"Trust me on this, sugar. If you want to improve that's fine, but don't get in a competition with your brother. As he so arrogantly announces, 'Saotome Ranma doesn't lose.'"

"Okay," Ranko said, thinking over Ukyo's advice. She had another reason for coming today though. "So, what do you think of Kasumi now? Still a friend or a rival?"

"I... Don't know what you're talking about, sugar..." Ukyo said uneasily.

"You've seen Kasumi when she's got that magic necklace working its magic and you've seen her close to my brother once already," Ranko said, getting to the heart of the matter. She liked Ukyo, she did, but she also felt that her brother, when he did start thinking about the whole fiancée thing seriously, deserved fairness.

"Your brother is my best friend, Ranko-chan. What better way to start a marriage than that?" Ukyo asked.

"If he wants it," Ranko said evenly. "I like you Ukyo. I do like you as a friend and a potential sister-in-law."

"But..." Ukyo knew there was a but coming.

"But I also feel that way with Kasumi... And even Shampoo if she ever learns to get over that over possessiveness of hers," Ranko said honestly.

Ukyo fell silent at that for a moment, before smiling slightly. "At least you didn't include Kodachi in the list."

"You're forgetting Akane and Nabiki too," Ranko smirked.

"The way those two treat Ranchan... They really aren't competition," Ukyo pointed out.

Ranko nodded. "I have to say though, Nerima is a nice vacation spot. Not a single apparition or Youkai in the seven weeks I've been here. How do you have such a place?" she asked casually.

"With enough high-powered martial artists. We've had run-ins with a ghost or two, even a demon, but they know better than to come after us," Ukyo said.

Ranko raised an eyebrow at that. "That's interesting to know. Still knowing about them became part of my life growing up, what with living in a Shinto Shrine."

The chef nodded, having heard this from Ranko before. "Have you had the time to date at all, sugar?"

Ranko blushed. "Um, no. I was too busy fending off suitors like Mizuki, and you know what he's like."

"You fit into Nerima so well... It's a wonder you didn't come here sooner," Ukyo commented.

Suddenly the sound of glass shattering brought their attention and Ranko barely avoided a ribbon aimed for her head.

"Damn you harridan! Why must you live!"

Ranko spat in disgust. "Kodachi. What hell did I do to you today?"

"Do not pretend to not know, bitch," the insane gymnast cursed. "When I heard your fiancée wanted you, I thought it would be perfect to finally get rid of you."

"What do you think you're doing, Kodachi?!" Ukyo asked in annoyance, already her spatula in her hands, at having the gymnast attack Ranko inside her restaurant.

"I thought that would be obvious, harlot," Kodachi snapped. "I intend to take the pigtail girl's life and show her head to her fiancée and my brother to keep them from that insane plan and then Ranma-sama will be mine."

"Over my dead... 'Fiancée'?!" Ranko's blood ran cold when hearing that. "Mizuki? He's _here_?!"

"He came to my home, intent on ruining my beloved Ranma-sama, and my foolish brother only happily agreed," Kodachi spat. "Now I must kill you, so that they have no reason to go through with their plans."

"That's insane and you know it, Kodachi!" Ukyo accused as she stepped closer to the redhead to defend her if necessary. "There's no way I'm letting you commit murder."

"A life for a life as it were and Ranma-sama's life is more important than hers," Kodachi said with absolute resolve. "I will not allow my brother and her fiancée's assassin to kill Ranma-sama!"

"For the last time..." Ranko was irritated how the Lady Kuno thought Mizuki was her fiancée but she froze in shock. "Assassin?!"

"Your fiancée convinced my brother to contract out an assassin of sorts, using two hundred thousand yen from the Kuno family holdings!" Kodachi shouted. "I can't believe you despise my darling Ranma-sama so much that you want him dead! You filthy-"

"KATCHU TENSHIN AMAGURIKEN!"

Kodachi had no time at all to even put up a defense, seeing as she had been ranting only a second ago. She fell victim to Ranko's merciless assault, falling to the ground unconscious.

Standing over her was an irate Saotome Ranko, her fists clenched and her eyes narrowed. "I so don't have the time to deal with you now," she muttered in a disgusted tone.

Ukyo was by Ranko's side in an instant. "Calm down, sugar," she said soothingly, trying to appease the irate redhead.

"Calm down!" Ranko snapped. "How can I calm down when the two biggest fools on the planet have joined forces and hired out an assassin to kill my brother!!!"

"I'm not any happier than you are, Ranko-chan. But think for just a second!" Ukyo snapped. "This is your brother we're talking about! And they don't even know where he went."

"No, but knowing Mizuki, he'll have gone as far as getting a Youkai as his assassin," Ranko said, fists clenched. "And if that's the case, even if _they_ don't know where he is, the Youkai _will_ find him."

Ukyo bit her lip in worry now. "Then what do we do?"

"We get backup and fast," Ranko said grabbing her bag. "Go get Kasumi from the dojo, I'll pay a visit to the Amazons."

"But where are we going?" Ukyo asked even as she followed Ranko's instructions.

"My brother went on a training trip and thanks to Ryoga filling me about his fights with my brother, I have a good idea where he is," Ranko said. "I've had a good idea ever since he left... I just chose to respect his privacy ever since he left that note."

"Right. I'll bring Kasumi as fast as I can," Ukyo said and rushed up the stairs.

"Meet us at the Nekohanten. I'd prefer we all leave as a group and that's the closest spot to where we need to start"

-----

Kasumi was satisfied with her performance. She had to transform to do it, but the sight of fried panda was well worth it. "I wonder if I should cook you or not?" She said with a smirk.

Akane shivered a bit before looking back to Nabiki. It had already been a month since Kasumi had obtained that necklace but seeing her changed into her ninja self still made her uncomfortable.

"Is the world ready for panda stake?" Nabiki asked dryly. "I think you cowed him enough as it is, sis."

"Hmm... You're probably right," Kasumi said, sheathing her katana. "Ranko's running a bit late, isn't she?"

"She's had a lot on her mind since Ranma left," Nabiki said, noticing how it affected Kasumi as well.

Kasumi nodded and thought to change when she heard someone open the door. She turned to face that door. "Ukyo? What's wrong? You look distressed."

"Kasumi... We have a problem," Ukyo announced, breathing heavily, as she looked at the three sisters and the unconscious panda in the room. "And I think you're just the person we need."

"What's the problem?" Kasumi asked.

"Kuno and some other guy after Ranko... They hired an Assassin to go after Ranma," Ukyo said somberly.

Nabiki's eyes widened at that. As far as things had gone in the past, she'd never thought Kuno would sink as low as hiring an assassin. An actual assassin.

"Mizuki," Kasumi gripped her katana so hard that her knuckles were white. "That bastard dares to interfere in our lives again!" Her anger and its aura showing brightly.

Ukyo visibly tensed at the display. "Mind saving that for the ones after Ranchan, Kasumi?" It was weird, even after so long of finding out, seeing Kasumi this way.

"Hai," Kasumi said coldly as she relaxed her grip on her katana.

"Kasumi?" Akane asked.

"Don't worry, Akane-chan. I won't kill them," Kasumi promised. "But when I am done with them, they'll wish I had." She walked out the door then.

"... I don't think you should go for this, Akane..." Nabiki ventured. "It might be a little too much for us normal humans."

Akane only nodded. After her defeats against Ukyo and Shampoo, she knew she wasn't in their league. She'd get there, but at the moment, she'd be no better than Kuno and that could get her sister killed. "Yeah," she said biting back how much in her gut she hated staying behind.

Ukyo shrugged and ran for the Nekohanten. Time to save Ranma.

-----

The moment she walked into the Nekohauten, she saw Mousse already coming to attack her. "Saotome!" he shouted in an angry voice.

Whether or not he was addressing her or her brother since he seemed to dislike both of them equally, Ranko did not know nor did she care. "I SO do not have time to play with you, blind boy." Ranko said coolly as she used the Amaguriken to attack Mousse faster than he expected.

"Why... Me...?" he asked before falling unconscious.

"Nice use of Amazon techniques, young one," Cologne praised as she descended the stairs. "Now why exactly have you come rushing here, I wonder?" The old woman was quick to note the redhead was very agitated, and she'd never seen her like this.

"My most annoying suitor has joined forces with Kuno to hire out an assassin to kill my brother," Ranko spat out. If she ever got her hands on Mizuki...

"That would hardly be a challenge for Son-In-Law, Ranko-chan," Cologne said

"Not even a Youkai assassin?" Ranko said with narrowed eyes.

Cologne instantly sobered at that. "I believe that is more than a challenge for Son-in-Law's skills right now."

"Mizuki and Kuno together would have more than enough money to hire out a Youkai and Mizuki has way too many connections into the mystics for him not know how to hire one."

"Then I would advise haste in our rescue of the boy. I suppose you know where he went?" Cologne asked, though she already had a suspicion of where.

"The place where Ranma and Ryoga fought when Ryoga was doing the Breaking Point training," Ranko said. "That's what I would have done if I were in my brother's place and it sounds like the perfect place to get away."

Cologne nodded. "Allow me to fetch Shampoo and we'll be on our way. Son-in-Law could be fighting a losing battle even as we speak," the old Amazon said and moved so fast Ranko had trouble following with her eyes.

"Think about bringing Razor as well, we may need an experienced healer," Ranko said.

There was no response from Cologne on the upper floor, but she was pretty sure the old woman heard her.

Ranko waited for them to come down when she saw Kasumi and Ukyo come to the restaurant, Kasumi already changed. "What happened?"

"Fried panda," Kasumi said with a smile behind her face mask.

Ranko smirked. "Sorry I missed it."

Three battle-ready Amazons descended the stairs, though Cologne looked the same as always, and greeted the trio of girls. "We should be going as fast as possible," Cologne said, eyeing Kasumi's current state of dress and aura and making a mental note to speak to the girl when this was over. She'd found some... Interesting facts about that necklace.

Everyone in the room agreed with the matriarch's statement.

-----

Mizuki pulled away his binoculars, smiling as he looked to his partner. "You see. I told you he was the best. He's found the bastard. Look and see for yourself." He handed his partner the binoculars.

Kuno Tatewaki took the instrument and saw Ranma in a cross-legged position in a clearing. "Veryly. The fiend Saotome is no doubt strengthening his dark magics."

"Whatever," Mizuki shrugged. "All I know is that once he is dead, my darling Ranko will be mine." He saw Kuno's glare. "I mean, ours, to court."

"Aye," Kuno agreed, knowing that when Ranma was out of the picture Mizuki and his noble person would fight for the lovely goddess' attention.

Suddenly Mizuki's cell phone ringed. "What is it?"

"Sir, we have several people coming close to the perimeter of the clearing. One of them is your 'fiancée'. She has five other people running fast with her."

"What?!" Mizuki shouted.

"Is there a problem?" Kuno asked as he lowered the binoculars.

"Our goddess is rushing to the scene," Mizuki said. Though he loved Ranko-chan, he didn't want her here. "Fortunately, I happened to have planned for such a situation." He went back to the phone. "Get the Five Blades into position. Stop them at any cost. They can kill all of them save the girl with red hair. She's to come out alive and unharmed. Have them knock her out if they can." He gave that last order with some regret.

"Yes sir," Mizuki's subordinate said before hanging up.

"A most unfortunate turn of events. Perhaps we should join the battle against the sorcerer?" Kuno offered, knowing that Ranma had to be stopped here and now.

"No. Our hired hand has told me he wants to keep this one on one. He was rather interested in the sorcerer once you got through with your long speech of his victories," Mizuki replied. "Besides. On the off chance Ranko-chan should break through my perimeter guard and see Ranma dead, I don't think we should give her actual evidence that we were involved in Saotome's death, now do you?"

"Even if it pains me to admit it, you are right. Let us depart from this place and leave the sorcerer to your aide," Kuno said as he handed the binoculars back to Mizuki.

"Don't worry," Mizuki said, getting up from his place. "In all of his life as an assassin from hire, our hired hand has never once failed to kill a target and he's been around for a 'long' time."

"Today the gods weep in joy, as the Sorcerer Saotome meets his doom!" Kuno proclaimed.

-----

He didn't know how long it had been. Days passed and he barely noticed as he concentrated on the task at hand. When he was thirsty he went to the river for fresh water. When he was hungry he either foraged or hunted for food. Being able to fish with his hands sure came handy in the wilderness.

Right now he was finding his center, breathing slowly as he guided himself away from his emotions. What he needed, the state of mind required, was one of lack of emotion. He knew it would cost him dearly. His greatest weapon would be useless in battle now. Yet the rewards went beyond fighting, and that was what he needed right now. That was what he came here for.

"Saotome Ranma."

Ranma turned around to see a man wearing a black jacket and pants come into the clearing. He was seven feet tall, having a good build, no hair, yet the eyes were an almost unearthly yellow.

The pigtailed martial artist, dressed in a dirty gi, assessed the newcomer calmly. Too calmly, for he was just out of his meditation.

"My name is Galich," he said. "I have been contracted to kill you."

Ranma's features remained mostly impassive at that. "By who?"

"I never disclose my employers' names," the man said calmly as he took off his jacket, leaving his chest exposed. "This is nothing personal against you. This is simply a job."

Ranma closed his eyes to return to his meditation. "Beat it. I'm busy here."

Suddenly he was sent back against a tree, feeling a punch sent against his jaw.

"I can't do that. I have accepted the contract. The only way this ends is if I kill you or you kill me," Galich said calmly. "And I've been killing people for much longer than you've been alive, boy."

Ranma shook his head to clear it and slowly stood up. "Nice right cross," he said and smirked slightly. "But I can finish this without killing you."

Galich simply smiled. "Give it your best shot, boy."

Ranma was instantly on Galich's face with a quick sweep.

One the man blocked and then countered with a punch, only to get a kick in the face. He staggered slightly before a smile came on his face. "You are better than a normal human."

"I'm the best there is," Ranma boasted. If he hadn't been training with Kasumi and Ranko he would've taken that hit to the face. This guy was fast.

"For a human maybe," Galich said calmly. "I think I can actually take some of my limits off at this point."

Before Ranma could do anything, the man started to glow with a dark aura that made Ranma feel somewhat ill. This aura had a dark presence. One he had felt before. As he looked at the man, he saw his muscles grow and expand to a much larger size before he stopped.

"Demon," Ranma said with a frown.

"We prefer to be called Youkai. Demon is a term better left for the lesser beings that don't have intelligence," Galich replied.

"Same thing to me," Ranma returned with an arrogant smirk, even if he wasn't feeling as confident as he wanted to project. Good thing his emotions were still tightly under wraps.

"I heard from my employers you were an exceptional martial artist. I initially thought it was nothing to my standards but now," Galich said slowly, eying Ranma behind his shades. "Now I am hoping you give me a decent fight before you die."

Ranma instantly started taking in his surroundings, looking for possible advantages in the terrain and trying to formulate a plan of action. He assumed a defensive battle stance and waited, wanting to test his opponent.

"Take all the time you want," Galich said calmly. "In the end, it will always be the same for me."

-----

Ranko frowned as she felt the Youki coming from the forest. "Shit. That is some strong Youki."

"Indeed it is, child. We are lucky to be here as the fight begins," Cologne said from the side.

"We need to get there and fast," Ranko said, not worrying about anything else but getting to her brother.

"STOP!" Kasumi shouted, halting everyone.

Which was good as a volley of shurikens came right in front of them.

Shampoo and Razor instantly turned to the source of the attack.

Five ninjas each in black clothes stood with their blades raised. "We are the Five Blades. By order of our employer, we cannot let you pass. Leave now if you wish to live."

Ranko snorted. "Let me guess, you can kill everyone but me, huh?" Their silence was enough for her. "I am _so_ going to get Mizuki for this."

"I would advise you to go ahead, child. Son-in-Law doesn't have much time," Cologne said as she eyes the five men calmly, undeterred by their harsh words.

"Are you going to be alright?" Ranko asked. Kasumi unsheathed her katana.

"You have three Amazons, a martial artist chef and a magical girl ninja on your side," Kasumi said half in jest. "Yes. I think you can leave them to us."

"And what makes you think you can escape our sight," one of them said.

Cologne hopped forward and landed lightly on her cane. The ground ahead of her exploded towards the five figures.

"What the?!" They asked in shock.

Ranko took that as her cue to move forward, over the ninjas.

"She's getting away!" one of them said. "Stop..."

"RAIKOU NAMI!" Kasumi cried, launching her chi attack at them, causing them to scatter and face the five women who were at the ready. "You have us to worry about first."

The ninjas drew their swords and charged at the girls.

-----

Galich was locked in a match of strength with Ranma and he was winning, but the boy managed to kick him in the jaw to escape and then followed up with a combo that sent him back a few steps. He then pressed his advantage by landing a kick into his stomach. The boy was in fact much better than his employers had given him credit. "You are by far the best human I've had the pleasure to fight in fifty years."

"For a demon you sure are a wimpy one," Ranma returned, thinking that this demon was a little stronger than Ryoga.

"I am only at fifty percent of my maximum capabilities," Galich said calmly. "If I fought at my full strength against my normal targets, I'd be most likely to cause too much of a scene. Being an assassin is knowing how to gauge your opponent and knowing just how much strength and how much subtlety is needed to accomplish the task."

"You're forgetting something, man," Ranma said with a smirk.

"Oh?"

"You're not the only one that can hold back," the martial artist said and stomped his feet on the floor, cupping his hands to his side. An ominous growl was heard from him as his muscles bulged. "SAOTOME FINAL ATTACK!!!"

Galich stood his ground, eagerly looking forward to what the human had to give him.

Ranma jumped high in the air. Going higher... And higher... And yet higher...

And past Galich, losing himself in the foliage of the trees.

Galich frowned. _Cowardly._ He smirked then. _However, he cannot hide. I have his scent._ He held his palm out and growled as a ball of red Youki formed into his hand. He turned around and threw the ball into the woods. "You're it, boy. Let's see if you can avoid being tagged."

Ranma managed to dodge the incoming ball of energy out of sheer speed and continued jumping from branch to branch, trying to figure out how to defeat this foe. For a fleeting moment he thought back to his fight with Ryoga, which happened to be here as well and he used the same technique before winning.

Against Galich he'd have to figure out a good strategy, the Youkai being stronger and faster than he was, so he added an extra burst of speed to get enough thinking time.

He barely managed to avoid it but it scrapped past his shirt, incinerating it and giving a bit of a flash burn to his shoulder before it ended up exploding.

From where he stood, Galich saw Ranma fall to the ground. _He's the first one to manage survive not getting tagged by my attack. _A smirk came to his face as he felt his blood starting to boil. _A human that could be better than any Youkai I ever fought. This is unbelievable._

Ranma let out a soft curse as he landed on his feet and resumed running, hoping the natural obstacles in the way would give him cover long enough to figure out a plan of action.

"You can run, but you cannot hide," Galich's voice was heard, closer than the pigtailed martial artist expected.

He rushed away hoping to buy a little more time and felt yet another energy blast coming his way. His concentration taken on finding a way to dodge he was taken completely off-guard as he felt someone tackling him from the side. Instincts taking over he tried to get free of the hold, yet his attacker turned out to be much smaller than the demon and he couldn't compensate for it.

As they both fell a tree exploded next to them, covering them in splinters.

"Having fun, brother?" Saotome Ranko asked as she got up from atop him, her face and tone of voice showing concern at the situation.

"Just dandy, sis," Ranma returned as he took a deep breath and regained his feet. He was both glad and worried to see his sister here.

"Kodachi came to kill me as a way to stop Mizuki and Kuno's plan to hire an assassin to kill you," Ranko said quickly. "I don't know which one is stupider."

"Well... This guy is packing some serious firepower... Not that I can't handle him," he was quick to add.

"You can handle a Youkai who's just saying he's a bad ass," Ranko said rolling her eyes. "Against someone like this, I'd definitely have two to three Hunters as backup, at least."

Ranma frowned as he saw Galich walking towards them. "Well, I don't see those guys around. All I see are rocks and... Trees..." He trailed off, a familiar confident smirk finding itself on his face. He had a plan.

"Care to share?" Ranko asked. "Hopefully this big lug knows not to kill me."

"And why is that?" Galich said calmly.

Hearing the Youkai say that so calmly meant to Ranko that Mizuki didn't think Ranko would get this far in, despite his guards... _Which means he didn't tell his assassin not to kill me or he doesn't get paid._

Ranma also noticed and frowned. "Get away from here, sis. I got him." With that he launched himself at Galich, kicking him across the face and starting to deliver blows in close range.

"You think I'm going anywhere then you are nuts!" Ranko snapped as she started to charge up her chi. She was going to put it all into this shot. _Focus yourself to be calm. Focus yourself to peace. _She felt her energy gathering up into her hands and was almost there. "Ranma... MOVE!!!"

Ranma jumped and used both feet to hit Galich in the face, sending him flying back.

Ranma moved out of Ranko's line of fire as her hands were sparkling with white chi. "Go to hell Youkai... ZAITEN RYUUBAKUHA!!!" She threw her hands forward and a beam of white chi came forward, barely down and seeming to engulf Galich as it sent him flying far back, going with the momentum that Ranma had kicked him into until neither could see him.

Ranko poured on the power for as long as she could. When she stopped her attack, she dropped to her knees in exhaustion.

Ranma landed elegantly on his feet, breathing heavily because of his exertions in fighting the Youkai in close quarters, and turned to his sister. "You okay, sis?"

"Using the Heavenly Dragon Blast... It always takes a bit out of me," Ranko breathed. "I don't fire it off regularly. I use it as a last resort but it's very damn powerful." She looked up to her brother. "How often do you fire off your Moko Takabisha in a fight?"

"When fighting Ryoga? At least a dozen times," Ranma returned as he approached his sister.

"Wow, talk about endurance," Ranko chuckled. She was about to say something else but then saw something coming his way. "RANMA!" She shoved her brother aside, taking a chi blast to the stomach that sent her flying into a tree and she fell to the ground with a thud, unconscious.

Ranma rolled with the fall and turned to see his sister, "RANKO!"

"She isn't dead." Ranma looked up and saw Galich, still standing, his body smoking. His yellow eyes stared at the martial artist. "I don't normally leave witnesses, however that girl did something I wouldn't have expected of a human female. For that reason, I'll let her live." He spared a glance at Ranko's form before looking back to Ranma with a smirk. "However, once I kill you I think she would've preferred I simply killed her too, if that display of affection was any indication of your bond."

Ranma's lips formed a thin line at that. "Let's get this over with."

"Yes. And now I shall honor you by finishing you off in my true form," Galich said, his voice showing his respect for his human opponent. "This is an honor that no human I have fought has ever been granted." He started to channel his Yokai again... And this time more physical changes began to happen. His skin tone changed from that of a human to a dull green, which changed from skin to actual scales. His hands became a set of claws. His clothing ripped apart, leaving him clad in a pair of shorts. He looked very much like a demonic lizardman.

When he was done, he smiled. "Now, we can begin." He held his hand out and started to charge his Yokai. "I suggest you start charging your chi."

Ranma smirked arrogantly. "I don't need chi to defeat a weakling like you."

"Arrogant till the end," Galich said with a smirk as he fired off his blast.

-----

Kasumi saw an explosion of energy, even from where she was. It was rather far away. _Damn it! This doesn't look good!_ She thought as her blade was locked with her opponent's. _Mizuki hired rather competent men._

Cologne was the only one having an easy time right now, though she didn't finish off her opponent mainly because she was aiding Ukyo and Razor now and then, their skills not up to par with Shampoo's and Kasumi's.

"Give it up woman! You cannot defeat us!" Kasumi's opponent said.

Kasumi narrowed her eyes as she worked out a new step move she had been practicing. She blocked the slash, kicked at the legs, which was avoided but then rolled with her elbow, striking the jaw of her enemy before slashing him across the chest, cutting shallowly into his body. The sight of blood did not unnerve her as it would have had she not been wearing the necklace. Nor did the splattering of her opponent's blood on her body or face.

All that mattered to her was having the moment where his defenses were down so she could slam the hilt of her katana against the back of his head and then smash his face into the ground.

"Defeated," she said coolly, looking down upon her adversary.

Cologne eyed Kasumi strangely, as if the final piece of the puzzle fell into place for something, and turned to the other three men. "I suggest you run along now."

The remaining blades saw their chances and knew that the kunoichi was being gracious. She intended to kill if they didn't back off. They had been paid to guard, however not enough for their lives to be put on the line.

Without a word they picked up their fallen comrades and left.

"That was surprising," Kasumi said calmly as she over looked everyone. "Ukyo, Razor, Shampoo, are you all alright?"

"We're fine, sugar," Ukyo said tiredly. "... How are you, though?" She asked nervously, never having expected to see Kasumi so callously injure someone.

"I'm fine," Kasumi said sheathing her katana quietly.

"The fight continues," Cologne said, turning towards the forest. "And not in favor of Son-in-Law." She could feel the Youkai's attacks still strong, while Ranma's chi was low. Ranko's couldn't be felt at all.

"Then let's hurry," Kasumi said, rushing toward the sight of the battle.

_-----_

Ranma skidded on the floor and coughed up blood, having been thrown through a series of trees once more. What was it? The fifth time? He was heavily beat up, now unable to dodge at all with several broken ribs, and struggled to a sitting position. As he did he felt some loose gravel on his hand instead of grass and his left eye opened wide, his right one swollen shut.

Looking to the floor Ranma saw that he was, indeed, in the spot where Ryoga tried to blow him up with the Bakusai Tenketsu.

Galich walked calmly too him, holding his hand up. "What is your game? You were much better before. Do you enjoy being a punching bag now?"

Ranma shakily stood up, smiling at the approaching demon, and spit some blood to the side. "Have you given it your best?"

Galich simply smiled as his Yokai burned all around him. "I think I've played long enough. It's time to end this." He stared Ranma in the eyes with a measure of respect. "It has been an honor to fight you, Saotome Ranma." He then swung his fist, intent on it connecting with Ranma's skull, only this time it would blow up when his fist connected.

Ranma crouched low, getting a glancing blow on his forehead that opened a gash, and threw an uppercut of his own. "HIRYU SHOTEN HA!!!"

The uppercut missed the mark, but even as Galich was about to comment on this a literal tornado pulled him into its violent winds, Ranma at the center.

Normally such technique defeated the opponents, consuming their energy as the winds threw their body around. Galich was too powerful for that, though. And in such power came the success of Ranma's plan. He was powerful enough that the tornado was so strong it picked up even rocks.

The Youkai could do nothing but stare helplessly as stones and broken branches came at him at speeds that would tear his body to shreds.

Upon realizing the situation he was in, the demon stared at his incoming destruction only able to utter a curse drowned by the thundering winds around him. "Damn."

Those were his final words before his body was ripped to shreds by the attack.

Ranma just smirked victoriously before collapsing, his injuries taking their toll on him.

-----

"Ranma!" Kasumi cried, rushing to the pigtailed martial artist. She put her ear to his heart, and found it still beat. "Thank goodness. He's only unconscious."

"Indeed," Cologne said as she gauged the destruction around. "And from the look of things he defeated the demon. Truly amazing."

Shampoo and Ukyo were about to rush to Ranma's side, and hopefully get him away from Kasumi, when the elder turned to them and Razor. "You three go in search of Ranko. She should be around as well."

"But great..." Shampoo started to protest, only to be cowed by a harsh look her way. "Yes, great grandmother."

Kasumi noticed the look the matriarch had and waited until they were gone before she asked. "Something you wish to tell me, Elder?"

"Later, child. For now I believe it would be in Son-in-Law's best interest if his body wasn't fought over. His injuries look serious," Cologne said and knelt by the pigtailed martial artist's side, examining his injuries more closely.

"Later then, but you are right. That is in his best interest," Kasumi said stepping back and letting the elder do her job. "How bad is it?"

Cologne frowned slightly as she prodded his ribs lightly, eliciting unconscious moans of pain. She applied a couple of pressure points for the pain. "The injuries to his face and ribs should heal properly, like usual. It is the fact that he is bleeding internally that worries me. If I didn't know better I'd say he fought the Youkai in close quarters, something he'd know not to do."

"Why would he, though?" Kasumi asked.

"Why indeed?" Cologne asked rhetorically and studied the terrain again. This was the same place where he fought Ryoga after the Bakusai Tenketsu training. She smiled slightly.

"What?" Kasumi asked, picking up on that smile.

"It would appear the boy has made some remarkable progress with one particular technique," Cologne said. Kasumi didn't even need to ask. They saw the tornado as they ran towards the fighting site, and had to dive for cover when the debris came crashing down.

"The Hiryu Shoten Ha," Kasumi breathed out. It was her first time actually seeing it.

"We must make haste and bring Son-in-Law to a doctor. And if Ranko was hurt as well we'll be carrying them both back."

Kasumi nodded and looked at the girls coming back. Ranko was being supported by them, but it was clear she wasn't doing much walking. She was conscious but barely. She saw her brother on the ground but realized that since they were all alive... "It's dead..." She said with a smile. "Someone wake me up tomorrow." She added before falling back into unconsciousness, her body letting go.

-----

Ranma started to come to, looking around his surroundings. It looked like he was in a bed, in what appeared to be the back of doctor Tofu's office.

"Welcome back bro," he heard Ranko's voice. Looking to the left, he saw she was in bed herself, laid up with bandages around her head, her right arm in a sling.

At the sight of his injured sister Ranma tried to get up to check on her. Tried being the key word, as his chest burned with pain and he dropped back onto the bed clutching it in pain.

"Would you just stay in bed before you hurt yourself?" Ranko asked. "I mean, more than you already are, at any rate."

"Yeah, yeah... Love ya too, sis," Ranma grumbled, still wincing in pain as he tried to control the pain he was in.

"... I'm sorry."

"Huh?" Ranma asked intelligently, this time being more careful as he turned to regard his sibling. He winced slightly at the look of her injuries, but still his confusion won out. "What for?"

"For scaring you. For making you think I broke my promise," Ranko said in shame. "I'm sorry, Ranma. I... Just panicked."

"I'm not scared of nothing..." Ranma grumbled, knowing that if he shouted it he'd be in a lot of pain. Previous experience with broken ribs told him so. "And what are ya talking 'bout?"

"I'm talking about the whole stupid ultimatum I gave you that made you go out into the wild to begin with," Ranko sighed. "You were scared of me getting hurt by Ryoga, right?"

With that Ranma remembered what happened and slumped even further into the bed, staring at the ceiling with an emotionless expression on his face. The redhead could feel the lack of warmth coming from his words as he spoke. "Ya can do what ya want, sister. I just needed training." His words, the lack of his more affectionate 'sis' when referring to her and the sudden chill she felt all lead to one thing. He was using that Soul of Ice technique, suppressing his emotions.

"Don't do this," Ranko pleaded. "Don't shut me out like this! Aren't we family? Aren't we twins! I am trying to say I am sorry for what I did without considering your feelings, and you're trying to write it off like it's nothing at all! WHY?!"

Ranma remained staring at the ceiling as he was, because he knew if he saw his sister his emotional defenses would crumble. He could never stand a crying girl, and if it was his beloved sister he'd be defeated without fighting back. "I don't want to hurt you anymore," he said in the same monotone as before. "It... Hurts when I do..."

"And you don't think the same holds true for me?" Ranko asked. "Ranma, I love you so much. You are my brother. All I want, all I have ever wanted, is that you don't treat me like I'm just another girl. We are twins. We should be equal... No matter how much better you are than I am at martial arts."

At the admission of love Ranma's resolve started to crumble incredibly fast. By the time Ranko was finished speaking he had turned to regard her with a hurt expression on his face. "I don't want ta see ya get hurt, sis. If that makes ya angry... Then..." He sighed and trailed off, before he said something wrong again.

"And what about you? How do you think I feel when I see YOU hurt?" Ranko asked.

"I'm used ta it," Ranma said with a shrug, which in itself caused him to wince again. "But it's not the same."

"... Is that it? Is that the reason? Do you really have that low of an opinion of yourself?" Ranko asked sadly. "Ranma, you have people that care about you. People that worry about you. Do you know how many of us came to help you once we found out that Kuno and Mizuki had hired that Youkai out to kill you? Ukyo, Shampoo, Elder Cologne, Razor, but most of all Kasumi. She was probably even more ticked off than I was and that's saying something in itself."

The pigtailed young man shifted uncomfortably in bed and changed the subject, trying to get into more familiar ground. "That was some attack you used, sis." He just hoped his little sister didn't press for an answer from feelings he didn't recognize and couldn't very well organize right now. It seemed like he needed to talk more to Kasumi, who always seemed to know what to say or do for him to understand things.

Ranko sighed. She didn't want this. Yet she didn't want to push, she didn't want to do something that would drive him away again. _But how? How do I get him to..._

"Ranma-kun. Don't do this."

The twins turned to look at who had just walked through the door to their room.

Kasumi.

"All you are doing, is hurting yourself and Ranko-chan." Kasumi said.

It was interesting to see how Ranma, whose resolve was very strong in his stubbornness, seemed to crumble with just a look from Kasumi. He closed his eyes and sighed. "Kasumi-chan... It's hard..."

"Would you rather wish to feel pain for a very long time or a just a few moments?" Kasumi asked as she walked over to Ranma. "Ranma-kun. Nothing worth anything of real value is ever easy. Your dedication to the martial arts, the way you prize that above many other things in your life, that's easy. It may not devalue its worth to you but for you, it's easy to do." She looked at him seriously, but with sympathy in her eyes. "But trying to express yourself with your emotions. That's hard. Yet you do something I know Saotome Ranma would never do in a fight: You run away."

The pigtailed martial artist opened his blue-gray eyes and stared at Kasumi intensely. "How do you always know what to say, Kasumi-chan?"

"Because I know you, Ranma-kun. I know you very well, but not because you've been living with us for some time," Kasumi answered. "But because we are very much alike. We try to deflect how we truly feel for the sake of those close to us. But that's wrong." She put her right hand over her enchanted necklace. "You saw first hand how I acted when I first gained this. Back then, everything I had repressed or refused to let come to the surface came forth in abundance, with no restraint, no control. I nearly hurt the people I care about... And you could very well end up doing the same thing, if you don't open up yourself every once and a while. I don't expect you to change. You aren't the type to let your emotions, the ones that you know I am referring to, show openly all the time, but seriously Ranma-kun... Don't you think it's alright to let them show every once and a while?"

Ranma shifted uncomfortably, clearly because he was being faced with the bitter truth. He also felt like dirt next to Kasumi since she hid her emotions to make others feel better. For him it was because emotions were a sign of weakness, something Genma beat out of him early on in the training trip. He wasn't so noble as to believe he hid his emotions for the sake of others, it was because he didn't know how to deal with other people when he did.

No... Compared to Kasumi he didn't feel like dirt, he felt lower than mud. "... I guess..." He said unconvincingly, but agreeing with the young woman.

Kasumi nodded to him. "So then, isn't there something that you need to say then?"

"... I'm... Sorry...?" Ranma asked dubiously, not even sure why he was apologizing but guessing that was it.

Kasumi shook her head. "When you can understand why you need to say what you say, it has its meaning. Don't ever say you are sorry for something when you don't even know the reason why." She took a moment before speaking again. "Ranma-kun, you want to protect your sister, and I am not saying you shouldn't, but she does have the freedom to do as she pleases. Such as training with Ryoga." She put two fingers to his lips silence him before speaking. "You know Ryoga. Do you honestly think he'll seriously injure a woman, even if she is your sister?"

Ranma frowned at that. "He won't on purpose... But more than once he's gotten carried away..."

"But don't you think Ranko knows enough when to quit, and don't you think Ryoga knows what would happen if he did seriously hurt Ranko what would happen to him, not to mention his own guilt?"

Ranma looked away as he spoke, wincing internally as his voice cracked slightly showing how upset he was over this. "I just don't want you girls to get hurt..."

"Getting hurt is a simple fact of life, whether it be training in martial arts, or playing sports, or doing anything physical. And I am sure Ranko-chan has gotten hurt during her own training before," Kasumi replied. "All you need, is to trust in her decisions, but know to voice your own opinion when you see how things look after sometime."

"... I'll try..." Ranma finally conceded. "I can't say I'll let you get hurt... But I'll try."

For Ranko, it was the biggest victory she had gained with her brother, even if she herself hadn't achieved it on her own but rather Kasumi had done it for her.

Yet looking at how Kasumi was working her way into Ranma's heart, she didn't really think it mattered. Maybe Ranko could only get through her brother in one way or another.

But Kasumi it seemed could get through to him, and get him to see things he'd normally shut his eyes to or turn away from.

"Thank you, brother," Ranko said with tears of joy in her eyes, knowing now that the future looked much brighter.

For all of them.

**To Be Continued...**

_Author's Notes: Wow. It has been over two years since we started putting this story up. Now eight chapters and two hundred plus pages later its our most popular story. It took forever to get this one done but after the reviews of the last chapter, we felt the need to go back and do some rewrites and add in scenes to deal with things that hadn't been resolved in the previous chapter. I hope you enjoyed this chapter after such a long wait. Sadly, I can't give an estimate on when we'll be able to put up the next chapter. All I can tell you is that we are working on it... and its ending will be worth the wait._

_Until next time._


	9. Chapter 9

_**Disclaimer:**__ I do not on Ranma. Enough said about that. This story is a collaboration effort between me and Drakuzz. Managed to get another chapter out and only in two months this time. Hope we can keep that rate at the very least. Hope this chapter is to your liking. Without any further delay, we hope that you will all enjoy this chapter._

**Twin Troubles  
By David Knight and Drakuzz**

**Chapter Nine: The New Girls in Town**

A week had passed and Ranko was a bit upset. Her arm was in a sling, her ribs and head were still bandaged up…

But at least she was able to walk.

Her brother... Well she and Kasumi were babysitting him. Kasumi had whipped out her katana more than once to keep the pigtailed martial artist from training at all.

Ranma definitely wasn't the most complacent of patients; he wasn't used to being injured and made light of his wounds. His pouting got the two women to smile at each other, because he was trying to look angry and he was actually rather cute.

"I have to run some errands now," Kasumi said getting her purse and slinging over her shoulder a bundle wrapped in cloth.

"I can't believe you are taking your katana with you outside of the house like that," Ranko said.

"Better to have it than not to have it," Kasumi reasoned.

"Let her go, sis. It's Nerima, no one will notice," Ranma said as he walked out of his room, his chest heavily bandaged still.

"If we were in Kyoto, they'd notice," Ranko said absently. "So glad I use a backpack to stash my sword into." She looked over at Kasumi. "See ya for dinner?"

"Of course," Kasumi smiled walking out the door. She went downstairs and out of the apartment.

Ranko closed the door and looked back at her brother. "You should be resting in bed."

"I'm tired of being in bed, sis," Ranma complained, as he'd been doing for five days straight now.

"Do you want your wounds to open up on you," Ranko asked.

"It wasn't that bad," Ranma said.

"Not that bad?" Ranko snapped. "You were bleeding internally and out for two full days before you came too. You got broken ribs and..."

Ranma rolled his eyes. "I've taken worse, sis. The old man had me training even with a broken leg."

"... You're joking, right?"

"How do ya think I can fight while hurt?" Ranma asked in annoyance.

Ranko shook her head. "Great. My brother's a masochist."

"If you wanna be the best..." Ranma said and smirked. Suddenly there was a knock on the door to interrupt him and he looked at her.

Ranko shrugged as she opened the door. "Kasumi, is that..."

"Baka! You mind telling us what your problem is, Ranko-chan!" A voice Ranma hadn't heard before yelled.

"ACK!!!" Ranko fell backwards, her mouth hanging wide as she couldn't believe it.

Ranma looked up, somewhat interested as he saw two girls that looked his sister's age. The girl on the left had cotton candy pink hair done in two pigtails, wearing a pink blouse and a white skirt. She had slung over her shoulder a pink backpack.. The other girl was a brunette in a blue jacket, white shirt and jeans along with a pendant around her neck with the yin/yang symbol in the center. A large black dufflebag slung over her shoulder, she stared at Ranko with a rather annoyed look on her face.

Ranko stared eyes wide right back at her. "Megumi... What... What are you and Kaede doing here?"

"Your grandfather came and told us where you were staying." Megumi snapped. "Two months, Ranko-chan, and all you've done is call us, tell us everything is fine and you aren't sure when you are coming home. Then your grandfather lets us know you were attacked by a Youkai but nothing else. What is going on? I thought we were friends."

Ranko stared at Megumi taking in her words while the girl with pink hair walked over to Ranma. "Hello," she said with a bow. "My name is Shino Kaede and the other girl is Kurosaki Megumi. How do you do?"

"Uh... Saotome Ranma," he said and bowed awkwardly, his ribs protesting.

Kaede and Megumi stared at Ranma then for a bit before staring back Ranko.

"Kaede, Megu... Meet my twin brother Ranma."

"TWIN!!!" Both girls shouted at the top of their lungs.

"Something wrong with that?" Ranma asked, surprised at receiving such shocked responses. In Nerima it was rare to find someone that reacted like that.

"You never told us you had a twin!"

"He's your surprise that you told us about! You rotten little imp! You're just like your grandfather!" Megumi growled, though good-naturedly for Ranko that knew her.

Ranma just blinked at that, not knowing how to react.

"Yeah well he's the one that took care of that Youkai, and he's much better than I am in a fight," Ranko said to them, enjoying the shocked expressions on their faces.

Ranma's chest puffed with pride at that, hearing his sister praise him so much.

Ranko rolled her eyes. "Oh give it a rest already," she muttered.

"And besides the fact that you forgot about us," Kaede said, a small smirk forming on her lips. "I think you forgot about me more than anything."

Ranko stared Kaede for a while before her eyes widened and with her good hand slapped it over her eyes. "Ugh! I should have thought of it after we came home!" She groaned. She looked back to Kaede. "Can you work on him first? He's worse off than I am and he'll probably be glad to get out of bed."

Ranma blinked in confusion as he stared at his sister and the new girl, unsure of what she meant.

Kaede was right over him now, looking at him calmly. "I am going to use magic to heal your injuries. That is, if you are alright with letting a white witch work on you."

The pigtailed martial artist blinked his eyes at that. "You can do that?" He had pretty bad experiences with magic so far... But having his injuries healed so he could get back to training sounded great to him.

"There's a lot that magic can be used for," Kaede said, holding her hands over him. "Just don't expect me to pull out a wand or start riding on a broomstick. We don't do either of those. We really dislike those stereotypes." She looked right at him. "Do I have your permission?"

Ranma gave her a smile, the one that usually got him into so many girl troubles. "Thanks."

The moment he said that her hands began glowing white, she started moving them slowly back and forth over the whole length of his body.

Ranma grimaced slightly. The feeling of having his wounds mended was a little discomforting.

Kaede gave no response as she continued to do her work. Ranko looked on. For someone who hadn't been healed via magic, the first time was always the worst. It wasn't like a video game where a white mage threw a cure spell on you and you instantly regained health. Reality was seldom like a video game where the supernatural was concerned.

The redhead easily made out the change as Ranma was healed. His breathing started to become easier while his posture relaxed. Even if trying to hide it he'd been moving stiffly these days because of the pain.

"Very bad, was it?" Megumi said simply.

"You have no idea," Ranko muttered. "I really would have liked having you there."

Megumi simply smirked at that response. "Then maybe you should have thought of calling more often and letting us come up."

Ranko gave her a flat stare yet Megumi knew there was more to it. "I wanted to have time alone with him. Is that so wrong?"

"... No. Sorry," was the curt simple reply, yet she saw Ranko relax. Everything was good.

"It wasn't that hard," Ranma said as he flexed his arms, testing their range of movement and nodding glad that he didn't feel any more pain on his chest.

Kaede turned around to face Ranko. "You next. Honestly, you look as bad as the first time we went on one of Megumi's Youkai hunts."

Ranma grinned at Kaede. "That thing you do is pretty cool."

Kaede blinked, having heard his voice and turned around to face him, blushing. "Oh well thank you. But healing's just one aspect of my powers."

The pigtailed martial artist chuckled and scratched the back of his head. "I guess magic isn't so bad when folks like ya use it."

"So what's your bad experience with magic?" Megumi asked while Ranko decided to take a seat on the couch and let Kaede now work on her.

Ranma rolled his eyes. "What isn't? It's been nothing but trouble since I know it. Curses, spirits, demons. You name it."

"Magic is neither good nor evil, it all depends on the intent of the user," Kaede said simply as she continued healing. "Although, there are some that just pull cruel jokes, like creating a place where you fall into water and are cursed into some other shape or form. I can't remember the name at the moment though."

Ranma sweatdropped heavily at that. "... That was a joke?"

"Some magician who got driven insane by a sorceress decided to have some fun in the last few years before he died, using his magic for creating rather serious 'practical jokes'. When asked why he did it, he told the mages that 'I thought it would be funny to see people turn into other creatures when it rained.'" Kaede said simply, finishing up her healing. "At least that's what mother told me."

Ranma just sighed and looked at the ceiling. It figured that his misfortune was the butt of somebody's joke.

"What's wrong?" Kaede asked.

"Kaede, you really didn't have to mention that about Jusenkyo to him," Ranko muttered, taking her arm out of her sling and starting to remove her bandages. "Kami-sama does it ever feel good to take these off."

"Jusenkyo. How did he..." Kaede blinked before looking at him. "You've been there!"

"... Kinda..." Ranma said hesitantly.

"Let it go for now girls, okay?" Ranko said to them. "With our luck you'll probably see it on your own."

Ranma blinked his eyes and turned to regard his sister. "You okay there now, sis?"

"Yeah," Ranko said, looking at her brother. "All better now thanks to Kaede."

The young man nodded and started to remove his own bandages, revealing healthy skin underneath.

"So, does that mean you are ready to get into sparring again?" Megumi asked with a smirk. "Although, given how out of shape you are, I'll probably win. Again."

Ranko shook her head with a slight smirk. "Give me a few days, then we'll have another match."

Ranma looked at Megumi with interest at that. "You girls spar often?"

"You kidding? She trains everyday," Kaede said with an exasperated look on her face. "She doesn't care about her schoolwork or what she's doing after it, or go to any clubs..."

"I don't need to waste my time with that crap," Megumi snorted. "I'm perfectly fine being a C student and already got all the people that I want as my friends, and again grades don't matter cause I'm going into the family business full time once I graduate."

Ranko gave her brother an amused look. "Basically she's just like you bro. Well as far as sleeping in class goes."

Ranma blinked at that and looked at Megumi. "You mean she actually takes the art seriously?"

"I'm not a martial artist, not in the conventional sense." Megumi said as she lifted up her duffle bag and put it down on a nearby table, letting a clang be heard. Out of the bag she took the scabbard of a clearly European style sword. "I come from a family of demon hunters."

Ranma crossed his arms and frowned in thought. "Like the one I killed?"

"Yes," Megumi narrowed her eyes, examining him. "What's with the frown?"

The next words out of Ranma's mouth made his sister sigh, as he still had a lot of the macho ideas their father beat into his skull. "Isn't it a little dangerous for a girl?"

Megumi's eyebrow twitched. "... Excuse me?" She asked in a low tone of voice.

Missing the look she was giving him completely Ranma went on. "I mean, even I had a little trouble with this one. Maybe you shouldn't worry about 'em and stuff."

"Why you son of...!!!" Megumi snarled, glaring daggers at Ranma. "What gives you the right to judge me you rank amateur?!"

Ranma's eyebrow twitched at that. "What did you call me?"

"A rank amateur."

Kaede looked back to Ranko. "Are you sure we shouldn't...?" She started to ask softly, not to be heard by anyone but stopped when she saw Ranko shake her head.

In fact, the red head was doing her best to keep a smile off her face. "Oh no. If anything, we should just let it happen."

Ranma glared right back at Megumi, his knuckles cracking loudly as he clenched his fists. "Look, ya uncute tomboy! Saotome Ranma is no amateur."

"Care to put your yen where your mouth is you chauvinistic pig?" Megumi returned, not scared in the slightest by his retort.

The pigtailed martial artist smirked at her, purposely giving her a line that seriously upset his sister. "I don't fight girls."

"Oh, so you're a coward then."

Ranma twitched at that. "I don't want to make you look bad."

"Are you sure it's so you don't look bad?" Megumi returned.

"Saotome Ranma doesn't lose," he returned with a confident smirk.

Megumi simply matched that smirk, hand on her sword's hilt. "Prove it."

Ranma eyed his sister sideways. "She ain't got no marriage laws, right sis?"

"She's a normal girl," Ranko said with an amused smile. "No wacky amazon laws or anything similar to it."

"Just making sure," Ranma said and turned his full attention to the girl, placing his hands behind his back and assuming his casual stance. "Take yer best shot," he challenged.

Megumi stood there waiting for it until she saw it happen.

"BAKA!" Ranko shouted right into her brother's ears. "Are you insane?!!"

Ranma blinked a couple of times, wincing at the ringing in his ear. "What?"

"You are NOT going to start a fight in our apartment!" Ranko declared, fully adamant about this. "This is NOT the Tendo dojo where things get broken on a regular basis and get fixed by Kasumi-chan!"

"I never break the stuff," Ranma said more than a little defensively. And some of it was true, since usually it was his opponent that did all the destruction while he dodged around.

"Maybe, but there's no way I'm going to let you fight in the apartment!" Ranko snapped. "And why do you ask. One, small space. Two, you two fight for even a minute here the whole apartment is pretty much guaranteed to be totaled. Three, I don't feel like getting the rest of people LIVING in the building involved by the noise the fight _will_ make." She shook her head. "How is it during a fight you are aware of your surroundings, just not when you start?"

Ranma backed off, not wanting to upset his sister and having to admit some of what she said was true. It was just that in Nerima people were so used to these fights that they hardly ever noticed anymore. "Uh... The lot we use to practice, then?"

"That will be fine."

-----

Kasumi walked into the Nekohautten. She wasn't sure what would happen, but she could only hope for the best.

"Welcome, Tendo Kasumi. It is so rare to have you visit us," Cologne said as she sat at a table, the restaurant suspiciously alone.

"I hope it won't be the last," Kasumi said as she walked to the table that Cologne sat at and put her purse down but kept her bundle close to her.

"Your company is too gracious for me to want and cut contact. Now what is it that you want, child?" Cologne asked amiably.

Kasumi thought for a moment before speaking her words. "I do not want us to become enemies."

"It has never been my intention, child. We simply seem to have a shared interest," the Amazon elder said calmly.

"I know enough about Amazon law to know that Amazons view threats to their goal as obstacles to be removed," Kasumi said evenly. "You and Shampoo have seen how I've been around Ranma-kun since I received this." She put her hand to the necklace she kept around her neck, yet her eyes never left the matriarch's. "I have no intention of losing Ranma-kun without a fight. If Shampoo should win his heart then I'll have no regrets, but I... I care too much."

Cologne nodded to herself. "I expected no less from you, child. Please believe me when I say, though, that it was never my intention to harm your sister or your family. Now that Son-in-Law might be engaged to you it changes nothing between us."

Kasumi nodded. "I do. I just needed to hear it from you and say what I needed to say." She then got up from her chair. "Thank you."

"How have you felt with that magic item, child? No negative side-effects?" Cologne asked casually.

Kasumi stopped, frozen and turned around. "If you mean have I felt violent when I am not transformed then no... But how...?"

"I was merely making an inquiry, girl. Magical items as powerful as that one are indeed rare to come across," the old woman pointed out.

"Oh," Kasumi said, letting out a breath. "I thought you might know something about where this came from. But no, I haven't felt any bad side effects from when I have used this at all."

"That is good and most fortunate. I pray all magical items were like that one you wear." Cologne tilted her head to the side. "Do you intend, perchance, to use it to your advantage in winning the Son-in-Law?"

Kasumi shook her head. "Not unless you count sparring with him when transformed as to my advantage. I am grateful for having this item, but I'll win Ranma-kun's heart the old fashioned way. It will be something I obtain with my own two hands."

"Then I must praise your restraint. It is, I'm afraid, something your younger sister finds herself lacking severely. But I digress... I'm sure you have things to do, as do I. Have a good day, Tendo Kasumi," Cologne said with a smile.

"And you too, elder," Kasumi said with a smile herself before leaving the restaurant.

-----

Not ten minutes after leaving the apartment the four of them found themselves at an empty lot that showed some scars from combat. It would've been faster, but Ranko convinced her brother they should walk normally instead of roof-hopping for Kaede's benefit. The sight was funny as she 'convinced' him by pulling him by the ear till they reached the street.

Now Ranma and Megumi stood facing each other while Ranko and Kaede watched from the side, waiting for the match to begin. The pigtailed martial artist stood in his usual non-stance, giving the girl in front of him a curious glance.

Megumi simply held her sword out in front of her, her left hand holding it by the scabbard while her other hand held it by the hilt. "Here's how Ranko and I fight. If I'm knocked out, she wins. I put her into 'kill', I win. Simple, isn't it?"

"Yeah, yeah," Ranma said dismissively, obviously not considering her a threat. "Can we get done here? Got better things ta do than humoring a tomboy."

In one swift motion she removed her sword from her sheath.

And in that swing, even Ranma couldn't have been prepared for the lightning shaped charge that followed that swing, moving faster than he could have and hitting him squarely in the chest, knocking him off his feet.

"What were you saying about humoring someone?" Megumi said with a smirk, dropping her sheath and keeping in a ready stance now.

The pigtailed martial artist skidded on the ground for a couple of feet before he used his momentum to flip elegantly back onto his feet. He casually patted his chest down as if removing some dirt with a bored expression on his face. "That it?" He asked casually, not giving away the fact that it actually hurt as much as one of Ryoga's punches and he'd been taken by surprise.

Megumi's eyes narrowed slightly as she decided to take to the offensive, moving so fast that Ranma had to move, yet her sword nicked the end of his pigtail.

_Fast_. Megumi realized as she continued to press on using speed. She needed to see how this guy fought before she could make any real plans. She knew his style was not Ranko's and thus needed to see him actually fighting before she could really make her plan. If she tried ending the fight right from the start, not only would she show all of her cards but there wasn't even a guarantee she'd win.

Ranma for his part kept dodging the girl's attacks. He was used to fighting sword wielders and knew that no matter the sword style used attacks were limited to nine basic types. Using that to his full advantage he started to read Megumi's attacks from her body language before she even got close to him, dodging by growing margins as he studied her form. She obviously had experience fighting with a sword and had both good technique and speed. He was slightly faster, thanks to all his training with Ranko and Kasumi, and kept ahead of her attacks without the need to block anything.

Noticing this after a few minutes Megumi decided to give Ranma a surprise. The next strike she made went up, she then continued down, which she knew he was to dodge and move away from as he had executed this same pattern earlier.

Except this time the blade went down and into the ground. "Spire," she mouthed, looking directly at Ranma. At once a spire of earthen rock shot from the ground and struck him in the chest.

Ranma once again was sent flying back, and yet again he recovered without outwardly giving a sign of having felt the attack. The look of concentration on his face and the look he was giving Megumi was opposite to his previous disinterested looks. Inwardly he was remembering what he saw on her first attack and comparing it to this second one, his tactical mind working overtime as he put the pieces together for a strategy to fight against the girl's attacks. They weren't that different from Kasumi's in some aspects, particularly on one that he could fully exploit. He smirked once more, now more confident as he figured out how to attack.

_I've got other tricks, however not going to use them yet,_ she thought. Right now she'd shown two of her moves and she'd gotten nothing in return except that she'd seen him only able to dodge her swings.

She'd have to gamble now, and hope she wouldn't put herself into check mate, otherwise she'd never hear the end of it from her friends.

Moving to the left she followed through with a sideways slash to the left then to the right, raising the blade forward, yet moved in a way that she knew she was leaving herself open for an attack.

Ranma frowned as he saw the opening and contented himself with dodging the attack with inches to spare. That opening was too obvious, especially since he'd already seen and gauged Megumi's skill to be above such mistakes. When the swing was over and she closed the opening was when the pigtailed martial artist attacked. Like a coiled viper he struck forward, a lightning fast strike to poke the girl's nose and let her know he was there, before jumping back to gain a little distance.

Megumi narrowed her eyes, knowing what the intent of that was. She had dealt with men like Ranma before. Guys who had their whole 'men-over-women' philosophy and she had been able to prove every one of them wrong or at least obtain their grudging respect in the cases that she didn't win.

Ranma was a typical of the type. Infuriate and make the opponent make a mistake, then strike. She hated that but was very much used to it. Female Demon Hunters were looked down upon by most and thus not many stuck to it. Those that did not break became great and well respected.

_Leaving myself open is not a good idea._ She knew as she decided to try one of her techniques again, not a new one but she would try getting into close range with it. She lunged forward, swinging her blade into a downward arc, followed by upwards and then forward slash making him jump back from her slash, but then jumping up into the air herself and swung overhead, releasing the same technique she used at the start of the fight.

To her surprise Ranma seemed to have read her mind, for when the technique went off he was already out of harm's way and inside her defenses. "Boo!" He said as their noses almost touched.

Instinctively, she turned her sword around, hilt forward and struck, intending to smash it right into his face.

That's when she realized one fatal mistake she'd made, one that Ranko had been expecting as she knew not to engage her brother in mid-air. The pigtailed martial artist twisted impossibly out of the way of the attack and took a hold of her wrist. With a small twist he increased her downwards momentum as his upward one was similarly increased. Then finishing his grappling maneuver Ranma placed his foot on the back of the out of balance girl and kicked down. The result of the short encounter, that lasted all of two seconds, was Megumi falling to the ground uncontrollably while Ranko's brother performed an elegant extended backwards flip.

Megumi winced, feeling the pain from that fall and hitting the ground as she rolled and managed to get back to her feet. _Okay. Aerial combat, don't go for. Keep him on the ground or you're through._

Ranma landed lightly and looked at the girl with a smirk. "We're even now."

"Are we?" Megumi returned, looking at him with a neutral face. She already assessed that he was better than Ranko. Beating him by knock out was simply not possible. Not at her present level. Going for kill position however, that she might have a chance for. She just had to think of the right way to do it.

Ranma started advancing on the girl once more, eyes intent on her movements so he could predict anymore of her special attacks.

Megumi readied her blade, closing her eyes before moving forward rushing at him with more speed than previously shown. As her movement speed increased, her form became blurred to Ranma, until he saw two more images appear on either side of her.

Ranma's eyes widened at the new development and he jumped backwards, trying to buy time to see what Megumi was doing while he kept out of range.

Ranko narrowed her eyes. 'Now she's using Shadow Steps.' She knew the trick behind it, but Megumi managed more often than not to trick her with use of the technique. She wondered now just how well her brother would fare.

The three Megumis continued moving after Ranma until they fired off the same energy projectile at the same time, showing three shots coming at him.

Having no room to dodge and not willing to bet that two of those were illusions, the pigtailed martial artist had no choice. He thrust his hands forward and a blue glow formed. "MOUKO TAKABISHA!!!" He cried as he launched a chi blast forward to meet the incoming attacks while the force of his own blast propelled him backwards.

The blasts exploded causing a cloud of dust to form obscuring view and sight. Megumi however kept her ground, standing right where she was she struck the earth with her sword and bent down on one knee while holding the hilt with both hands, eyes closed.

Ranma landed on a crouch and skidded back a couple of feet, eyes intent on the girl now that she was just one again. So far she'd surprised him with her weird techniques, even if he could now mostly defend against them.

Megumi opened her eyes and pulled out her sword from the earth. She took another shot in his direction, ripping through the earth as it barreled down towards him.

He dodged to the side just in time, the near-miss ruffling his hair as he started running towards her to engage in close combat. It was obvious now that in long range she held the advantage.

She moved towards him but keeping low to the ground waiting for what appeared to be an attack from her opponent.

Seeing the girl coming low Ranma jumped over her on a flip, narrowly avoiding her sword, and kicked her in the back to try and unbalance her.

Try being the key word, it felt like he just kicked a rock. His leg hurt because of the shock of hitting her back. He could feel bone crack as he kicked her.

Megumi simply smiled as she took her sword out of the ground and fired off another projectile blast.

The pigtailed martial artist barely managed to avoid said blast, landing on a crouch and favoring his left ankle. His eyes narrowed as he stared at the smirking girl, gauging this new development.

"So, not as easy as you expected, now is it?" Megumi said smugly.

The pigtailed martial artist's features darkened at the taunt. "Ye asked fer it," he said as he stood up, now looking serious about the fight.

Something Megumi frowned at. "You son of... Has this all been a _game_ to you up until this point?"

"Wasn't it for ya?" Ranma asked in surprise.

Megumi gripped her blade, her knuckles fully white. "You insult me. To think you're this good... And you insult everyone, weak or strong by treating even a sparing match as if _it's a __**game**__!"_

"Games are all yer worth, tomboy," Ranma said with a snort and a dismissive wave of his hand.

Megumi just let out a roar as she swing her sword down... Only this time the energy blast she sent at Ranma was not the size of a basketball but rather the size of a person.

The problem was that in her anger she became too predictable and fell right into Ranma's hands. In the beginning of the fight she kept her cool very well, but as it wore on the pigtailed martial artist worked on her and now she was playing his game. "Gotcha!" He cried with a grin as he seemed to appear to her side, arm cocked back. "KATCHU TENSHIN AMAGURIKEN!!!" He cried and attacked, centering all of his punches in one spot as he usually did with Ryoga to get through his endurance.

She grimaced in pain as she felt the blows, the first three coming in without her defense, and knew if it kept up she was finished. Fortunately she had her sword in the ground after shooting off her attack and had only lost her grip due to his initial punch. She managed to get it back after feeling her ribs crack slightly and glared at him. Now he knew his punches weren't working as her free hand moved to punch. "Take this!" She screamed, driving her right hand into his chest.

Ranma allowed the punch to push him back, robbing it of some momentum, and smirked as he now knew how she did that technique. In fact all of her techniques so far depended on one thing.

Her sword.

Megumi worked overtime, knowing that right now time was running down. This was the second hardest fight she'd been in. Only her sessions with her father were worse, and she lost to him every time.

This guy was just too much. She wasn't even sure now if she could get him into kill position. She took her time to catch her breath. Though he tried not to show it, he definitely had to be hurting. Especially when he hit her so many times rapidly while her body had been as hard as rock.

The pigtailed martial artist hurt alright, but he was used to fighting even with broken bones and still pulling off victories. Megumi was good, he had to admit that, yet he was better and he was going to prove it. With that in mind he launched himself forward again.

This time Megumi kept her sword in the ground. She wasn't ready yet to go moving far just yet and needed some more time to control her breathing so she kept to her stone skin technique. 'You want to hit me. Come and take a shot at it.'

What followed was Ranma's usual strategy against weapon wielders, and pretty much why he never wanted to depend on a weapon other than his body. He had noticed the exact moment Megumi's skin hardened when he was hitting her, and so his kick didn't come at her directly, but at the hand wielding the sword.

Her sword hand felt it, the technique not finished but even more disconcerting her sword was sent high into the air. She tried to get up for it with a jump and, unfortunately, forgot that in the air Ranma had the advantage.

A quick jump brought the pigtailed martial artist to her level and he grappled her into a submission hold, arms painfully locked behind her back, even as he kicked the sword away. He twisted their bodies in such a way that when they landed Megumi wasn't hurt.

Megumi tried to get through it. Rearing her head back hard, trying to break it, but at this point she was through... And she knew it. "... I concede."

Hearing the words Ranma let out a breath and released her. The fight had been different from what he was used to, but still fun and demanding. He winced as he took a step back, his hurt ankle sending pain all the way up his leg.

Megumi just lay on her back, taking breaths as she was trying to get herself together. This had been a demanding fighting. Very demanding indeed.

"Okay, so who needs it more first?" Kaede asked as she and Ranko approached the two of them. "Healing, that is."

"I'm okay," Ranma said so the girl could work on her friend first.

"Listen to him. He's too prideful to let himself be worked on before others," Ranko said to her friend. "Unless of course he's been rendered unconscious and thus we need to work on him first."

"No chance of that happening," Ranma replied with a confident smirk.

"Oh, so that didn't happen when the youkai nearly killed you and you passed out and had to be carried to the doctors office and didn't wake for three days?" Ranko said with an amused smirk while Kaede worked on Megumi.

"I beat it before that," the pigtailed martial artist defended himself.

"Yeah, but got lucky," Ranko said, keeping a smile on her face.

Megumi sat up while she was being healed, looking over at Ranma. "I know you were taunting me, getting under my skin that entire time of the fight with your insults... But I want to know. Were you honestly surprised when I asked you if you were treating this as a game?"

"It was a sparring match, you crazy chick," Ranma said as he scratched the back of his head. "If it had been real that first punch would'a taken ya out."

"True enough," she conceded. "But is every fight to you just a game?"

"Do ya like your art?" Ranma asked in return.

"Of course I do."

"Then why not have fun with it?" The young man asked with his head tilted slightly to the side.

Megumi simply lowered her head. "I enjoy my art. To have 'fun' with it...That leads to people getting hurt... Or killed."

"If ya can't have fun with it then ya'll never improve," Ranma sentenced and raised his right first, knuckles bleeding from when he hit her stoneskin. "It's a way of life."

"And when someone is hurt by a mistake you have when you treat the hunting as a game, how do you live with yourself then? What happens if you try to just 'play it out' without thinking of the other person?" Megumi returned. "I have to have limits on myself."

Ranma shrugged his shoulders. "If it's serious I fight serious."

"And so, what's your opinion of me then?" Megumi asked, Kaede now finishing her work on her and moving towards Ranma now.

"Ya need ta lighten up," Ranma said and averted his eyes.

"Funny," Megumi said mirthlessly as she stood up on her own two feet.

"Now hold still," Kaede said as she started to heal Ranma's own injuries.

"Thing about having a healer on hand, injuries that take a while to naturally heal go away a lot faster thus making everyday stuff much easier to do and no one the wiser," Ranko said, speaking from experience.

He watched in amazement as his knuckles stopped bleeding, and then he could feel his ankle support his full weight without pain. "Thanks," he said to the girl with a heartfelt smile.

"You're welcome, but not yet done," Kaede said as there were still a little bit more to heal.

"So, what do you think of my friends, bro?" Ranko asked with a smirk on her face.

"They... Uh... They're nice," Ranma said, a little uncomfortable.

"Nice, huh?" Megumi frowned as Kaede finished her work on Ranma. "Well you're better than me, but you're not better than my dad."

"How do ya know?" Ranma asked with a smirk.

"'Cause my father beats me every time in under five minutes," Megumi said simply before grinning to Ranko. "And takes half that long to beat your twin."

Ranko looked down at the ground embarrassed. "Hasn't fought me since I left home months ago," she muttered under her breath. Truth be told in her few matches with Megumi's father, which he asked for her to face him, she had her ass handed to her. It was worse than facing her grandfather. Though Megumi's father was nearly three decades younger than the elder Saotome.

"So?" Ranma asked. "That first punch would've had ya on yer ass. And it's not about time," he said seriously. "It's about who keeps standing."

"Ranma," Ranko said looking at her brother seriously. "If Megumi's father had been there, he would have taken out that Youkai, no problem. Believe me when I say he's damn strong."

Kaede raised her eyebrows. "'Damn strong'? Interesting vocabulary you've been picking up."

Megumi simply chuckled. "Let it go, Kaede. If the smug twin can get the prissy princess to loosen up, so be it." She did give her friend an amused look. "You know, you HAVE been more loose than you were months ago."

Ranma grunted and turned to his twin. "Is your friend always such a sore loser?"

"No," Ranko answered. "I think it's just how you did it that is the whole irking thing. Don't worry. Next time you beat her, she won't be this bad. She never is when she loses twice and so on with someone."

"Hey!" Megumi snapped. "You are making it sound like I lose a lot more than I actually do!"

Kaede shook her head as she finished her healing. Megumi stood up, feeling her injuries gone.

"Look, how about we take you both to the dojo? Kasumi's probably making dinner right now, right?" Ranko asked her brother.

Ranma nodded, looking forward to the eldest Tendo sister's cooking as always. "If ya behave ya can have some too," he said to Megumi with an annoying smirk.

"Hey enough of that, okay?" Ranko said, trying to defuse a potential situation. "Let's just get moving."

Ranma snorted but either way stopped the teasing. He just locked hands behind his head as he casually walked next to his twin towards the Tendo dojo.

As they were walking though there was a rustling by a pair of garbage cans and leaping on top of said cans was one stray black cat. Looking at the teenagers it meowed.

"Nice," Megumi said walking over to the cat, picking it up and stroking it. "And where did you come from, little kitty?"

Ranko laughed a little. "Such a tough girl and yet when it comes to felines she always caves."

"Um, Ranko, what's wrong with your brother?" Kaede asked.

"C-C-C-C-CATTTT!" Ranma screamed like a girl as he jumped back, hitting the wall of a building as he stared in horror at the monstrosity in Megumi's arms.

Ranko blinked hard. "Ranma?" She asked uncertainly, never expecting this elicitation of fear out of him. "What's wrong?"

"You have to be kidding me!" Megumi exclaimed, walking in his direction. "Are you telling me, tough guy, you're afraid of the little kitty?"

As the little monster was brought closer to him Ranma's eyes widened more and more with fear. "GET IT AWAY FROM ME!!!" He cried out as he turned and jumped to the top of the three-story building, bolting like a bat out of hell.

"... What just happened?" Kaede asked.

Sadly there was no one to answer her question, seeing as both Ranko and Megumi were as flabbergasted as she was.

It wasn't long before Ranko's face gained a frown. "Come on. Let's go to the dojo."

"You mean we aren't going to go after your brother?" Kaede asked, surprised by this choice of action.

"Not when I don't know what's wrong with him," Ranko said fuming. "And believe me, I think I know exactly who to ask as to why my brother is so afraid of little kittens."

-----

Kasumi arrived back home with groceries which she put away in the kitchen before going into the dojo. She saw her father and Genma sparring while Akane was training by herself through the exercises Ranko had drilled into her over the last three weeks. It was safe to say she had made some improvement in skill.

As Kasumi unwrapped her katana from its bundle, she heard her other sister step into the dojo. "Hello Nabiki. How was your day?"

"Same old, same old, sis," Nabiki replied casually. "How was your talk with Cologne?"

"Best possible outcome," Kasumi answered calmly..

Nabiki nodded seriously. "Kasumi... I don't know if you'd considered it but... Do you think it wise to tell the Amazons you're pursuing Ranma? You haven't even told Akane."

"I don't want to become enemies with them, Nabiki. I needed to say it now rather than later," Kasumi said before glancing over to Akane. "And it was a lot easier telling them than telling her."

"You're going to have to do it. And soon," Nabiki said. "Akane-chan may be a little dense, but she's starting to suspect your intentions. And she'll most likely lash out at Ranma-kun for being a pervert."

"I know," Kasumi sighed, not looking forward to telling her. "I'll do it soon, Nabiki. Just let me work up the nerve to do it. I'm trying not to fall back into old habits these days."

Nabiki nodded and grinned. "And how is your pursuit of Ranma-kun going, sis? You managed to get him in the sack yet?"

Kasumi blushed. "Nabiki!" she gasped.

"It's an honest question, sis. You know with Ranma-kun you have to go all the way or he won't even know you exist," the middle Tendo sister said with a smirk.

Kasumi was going to say how crude of a comment that was when the door to the house opened. "Ranko-chan. How nice of you to..." She then noticed that she was not alone. There were two girls that she had not seen before whom she assumed had to be Ranko's friends. She did notice that Ranko had a rather frustrated look on her face.

"Where is my idiot father?" The irritated redhead asked.

Nabiki just pointed at the sparring forms of Genma and Soun, dancing around the dojo with skill that bellied their age.

Ranko walked over there with her friends following. Kasumi and Nabiki decided to follow as well. "A word with you, father."

Genma turned slightly, not letting his attention deviate from his opponent, and looked at his daughter and companions. "What brings you around today, Ranko-chan?" He was trying to gain his daughter back, now that she obviously wasn't leaving with her grandfather.

Something she knew he would never succeed at. She had grown up detesting this man, and even if she hadn't she still had ample reason not to trust him. "Tell me something, is there a reason why my brother is deadly afraid of cats?"

Genma faltered for a moment and Soun's fist impacted with his jaw, thankfully rendering him unconscious and unable to answer.

Soun was surprised by that. _Incredible... I wasn't expecting to knock him unconscious with that blow._

Ranko frowned, noticing the slight breathing. "You aren't fooling me, father. I know you aren't unconscious. What did you do to my brother?"

"Uh... Whatever are you talking about, Ranko-chan?" Genma asked nervously as he sat up.

"So you don't know about the Nekoken," Kasumi said, surprising them.

"Nekoken?" Ranko asked, unfamiliar with the term.

"Your father threw Ranma into a pit of starving cats as a child and now whenever he sees a cat he freaks out." She glared at Genma, showing how much she didn't like that.

The look Ranko gave her father was so unlike any she had given him before upon hearing that revelation.

"... What?" Genma asked nervously at the glare he was recipient of.

"You threw my brother, as a child, in to a pit of starving cats!?!" Ranko exclaimed in outrage. She honestly didn't think her father couldn't go any lower with his insane actions as far as child raising went.

Obviously, she was yet again mistaken.

"It was for his training," Genma protested. "The Nekoken is an undefeatable technique."

"Undefeatable?" Megumi snorted. "What sort of technique is undefeatable when the user runs like a chicken with its head cut off at the sight of a baby kitty?"

"Actually, the worst of it, is when the terror reaches a certain degree," Kasumi clarified. "If he's near a cat too long, Ranma will act like a cat, attacking anyone and anything he perceives to be a threat."

"In other words, a berserker," Megumi said shaking her head before staring at Genma. "Are you really Ranko's old man?"

Genma adjusted his glasses and looked at the girl seriously. "I am."

"See, I have trouble believing that," Megumi said with all honesty. "I mean you look like Seijuro-san, but from I've just seen, you've only seemed to inherit his looks. I mean, what kind of father endangers his own son like that? I mean, we ought to be grateful Ranko wasn't subjected to this." She turned to her still angry friend. "You weren't subjected to this inane form of 'training' were you?"

"No... This had happened after..." Ranko trailed off. "Doesn't matter."

"After what?" Megumi blinked. "Ranko, after..."

"I said it doesn't matter!" Ranko snapped, fixing her glare at her own friend, telling her to let the matter drop. Something everyone took note of.

Genma grunted and turned to regard Ranko. "Daughter, what happened to your brother?"

Ranko turned back to her father, her anger still there. "My brother freaked out after seeing a stray cat. Which is why we even bothered asking you."

As they sat there it was obvious Genma wasn't going to say anything meaningful, not that Ranko expected him to.

"I should go looking for him," Kasumi said suddenly.

Genma looked up at that. "Let the boy get it out of his system. He'll be fine."

Kasumi didn't bother responding. Instead she activated her necklace, changing into her ninja form, changing in front of Ranko's friends who weren't expecting it. She then looked at Genma. "Thankfully for us, you aren't my father. So I don't have to listen to a word you say." Without another word she took off.

Kaede and Megumi stared for a bit before speaking. "Damn," Megumi breathed. "Very interesting town Ranko." She gave her friend a smile. "Now I see why you like staying here. Need to look into doing the same to keep up with you."

Ranko simply smiled back, though looked in the direction Kasumi had gone. So did Kaede. "Is she your brother's boyfriend?" Kaede asked.

"No, but my father and her father are trying to get her or one of her sisters to marry him," Ranko said, getting curious stares from her friends.

"It's to unite the schools, girl," Genma said, annoyed that they forgot he was still only a couple of feet away.

"And how does making my brother lose rational thought every time he sees a cat help 'that'?" Ranko challenged.

Genma winced but turned to regard his daughter anyway. "It makes him unbeatable. When the situation comes that he can't lose he has that technique to fall back on if all else fails."

"Can he tell friend from foe?" Megumi asked him.

"... Mostly," Genma said, remembering how Ranma usually tore into him when he was in the cat fist, but avoided the others.

"I still don't like it," Ranko muttered, looking over to Kaede. "Can't you do anything?"

Kaede blinked. "Hey I heal physical injuries! Not mental trauma! Only experts even attempt to go messing around with someone's brain. It's very sensitive to magic, especially if he's got a curse on him."

"The boy will be fine," Genma said with a grunt. "I trained him. He never lets anything keep him down."

"That's exactly what I am afraid of," Ranko muttered under her breath.

-----

Kasumi felt like Shampoo at the moment, trying her rooftop approach, looking for Ranma. 'I just hope he hasn't entered the Nekoken. That's the last thing we need.'

He was in none of his usual thinking spots, meaning he either found a new one or he was looming around in some alley digging food from a dumpster.

'Need to keep looking.' Kasumi decided to broaden her search now. Five minutes later, when she spotted a flash of red, she knew she had found him. Upon further inspection she could see he was doing a kata, while jumping from one building to another. "Ranma!" She called out to him.

Ranma paused in mid-kick, balancing himself over a flagpole with his toes, and turned to look down at Kasumi. "Hey, Kasumi! What ya doing here?"

"Looking for you," Kasumi said looking up. "We were worried you went into the Neko-ken."

Ranma jumped off the flagpole, back-flipping elegantly, and landed next to the older girl. "Nah. Managed to get away on time."

"Well after you ran off as you did, Ranko and her friends went after your father, guessing correctly it was all his fault," Kasumi said with a slight smile underneath her mask. "One can only wonder how that turned out after I left."

"The old man has it coming," Ranma grumbled and smiled. "So why did you come looking for me, anyway? We were going to see each other tonight."

Kasumi's cheeks blushed, and she was glad her face mask hid that. "Well, I was, worried, about you I mean, Ranma-kun."

Ranma blinked in confusion at that, but nodded anyway. "Thanks, I guess."

"So, training now?"

Ranma grinned at that. "Always."

"Your sister has some rather interesting friends," Kasumi said. Ranma shivered slightly at remembering the cat incident and nodded. He wouldn't live that one down for a while. "They seem nice. A lot of energy." Kasumi looked at Ranma quizzically. "... Did you get into a fight with them Ranma-kun?"

The pigtailed martial artist shook his head. "Nah. Just a sparring match."

"You don't look you had a fight with them at all, though," Kasumi said, yet just knew he had been in one.

Ranma frowned in confusion for a minute, before his eyes widened in realization. "Oh, that. One of 'em does this magic healing thing."

"...And you let someone use magic on you?" Kasumi let a smile form behind her mask yet again, amazed that Ranma would allow it, considering how much he hated magic.

"She did heal my ribs, ya know?" Ranma asked and flexed his chest, indicating that his wounds from the fight with the Youkai were completely gone.

Kasumi let out a gasp. His ribs were healed indeed. "Wow. That is something." She looked up then. "Well if you're ready, we should get going back to the dojo."

Ranma blinked his eyes at that. "What for?" He knew they were having dinner at the dojo, but it was still too early for that.

"Well you don't want to have your sister worrying about you now, do you?" Kasumi pointed out.

The pigtailed martial artist scratched the back of his head nervously, obviously not having thought that Ranko would be worried about him. It was still very new to him, to have people worry about him.

"Well shouldn't we get going?"

Ranma smirked as he looked at the girl in kunoichi attire. "Think ya can keep up?"

The light in her eyes clearly stated that the challenge had been accepted.

-----

Back at the Dojo, Ranko and her friends were still there, her friends just looking around or sitting patiently. Genma went back to sparring with Soun, now that the threat of his daughter's possible reaction had passed.

"Find it amusing you didn't go after your father," Akane said, bemused.

"Then I'd be setting a bad example for you, grasshopper," Ranko replied before smirking. "'Sides, I'm getting tired of just beating on him like my brother does for every dumb thing we find out he's done. It just seem too... Clichéd. Like how the coyote keeps trying to go after the roadrunner, only to get splatted."

"That's the way those two bond," Nabiki commented from the side dryly. "And don't deny it, red. It's in your blood, too."

Ranko shook her head.

"Very amusing place," Megumi said from where she sat. "I really wish you had thought to call us earlier instead of us having to come down to see you."

The middle Tendo sister raised an eyebrow at the comment. "You find it amusing?"

"Amusing, interesting," Megumi shrugged. "When you're a demon hunter, you think you see it all. It's refreshing to know I haven't yet."

"You hunt demons!?" Akane exclaimed, in disbelief about that discovery. "But... You can't be any older than me!"

"Yes. Nope. And Kaede's a witch," Megumi answered with a smirk.

"As in a magic-using witch?" Nabiki asked from her sitting position.

"Yup, I healed Ranko and her brother. Her brother twice. Once when I first met him and then after I healed Megumi after the two of them fought it out in a vacant lot," Kaede said, shooting an amused look at them. "So stubborn, those two, they ought to get married."

Megumi's face went red as she snapped, "We are not alike at all!" She huffed, crossing her arms.

Nabiki kept her face blank even if inwardly she was amused. "If it's not like that then why do you protest so hard? Trying to cover something up?"

Megumi refused to even answer that with a response.

"Oh!" Akane exclaimed. "Can't believe I forgot." She went over to a nearby table and picked up a letter, one that she gave to Ranko. "This came in the mail for you... Well to your whole family."

Ranko sighed. "Knowing father it's probably another fiancée for my brother..." She then shivered before becoming angry. "Oh he had better not have engaged _me_ to someone!"

Not too far away Genma shuddered, which gave Soun the chance to land a kidney blow in their fight.

Ranko immediately opened up the envelope and started to read it with everyone in the room watching her.

After a few moments, they saw her hands shaking, until her eyes rolled up into the back of her head and she promptly fainted.

"Ranko!" Kaede cried lifting her friend up from the ground, but she was totally out of it.

Not wasting a second Nabiki went for the note and read it, wondering what could make the redhead drop in a faint like that. While her reaction was a lot more controlled than Ranko's she was still surprised.

"What? What is it?" Akane asked.

"It appears, dear sister, that one Saotome Nodoka is coming to visit her children," Nabiki said in all seriousness, turning out of the corner of her eyes to see Genma and Soun still engrossed in their sparring match.

"Ranko's mother? The mother she hasn't seen since she was a baby?" Megumi said, loud enough for both of the older men to hear it. "She's coming here?!"

"What?!" Genma asked with a look of panic, which was erased as Soun landed a roundhouse kick that sent the man into dreamland.

"I won!" Soun exclaimed. "How is that for lowering your guard, Saotome?"

"...Oh I _have_ to be around to see this," Megumi said with a devious smile on her face.

Luckily for Genma he was somewhat saved from the humiliation as he was completely out this time.

-----

Ranma grinned as he walked on the fence, all covered in sweat, and looked down at the now normally-dressed Kasumi walking by his side on the sidewalk. "You're really improving, Kasumi. You almost had me there a couple of times."

"Thank you," Kasumi said, blushing a little bit. She had a serious question to ask though. "Ranma-kun. How did you end up coming up with the inspiration for your techniques?"

"What do you mean?" Ranma asked in confusion, not really understanding the question.

"You have so many techniques. More than I could count," Kasumi said. "All I have is Raikou Nami. I am not sure I should limit myself to only one technique."

Ranma shrugged as he continued walking. "If it's all ya need, then it's fine. Most of the moves I know I learned 'cause I had to."

"So you aren't out to master every technique known to man?" Kasumi questioned.

"Why?" Ranma asked and smirked. "Ya don't see me tryin' ta learn the Bakusai Tenketsu, do ya." He turned forward. "I only learn what is useful for me, or learn how to fight it."

"I guess you have a point," Kasumi agreed.

"So you gonna try and learn new techniques?" Ranma asked, knowing why she asked in the first place.

"Maybe," she said with a grin as they walked past the gates into the house.

They saw everyone in the family room, with Ranko laying on the couch out cold and Genma an unconscious mess on the floor.

Ranma's eyes widened and he rushed into the room, moving faster than humanly possible. "What happened to her?" He demanded as he forced his way to her side.

"She read a letter," Megumi said while she noticed that Ranma wasn't even listening to her. His entire attention was on Ranko as he placed a hand on her forehead worriedly.

"Son," Soun said putting his hand on the boys shoulder. "I think you should be sitting down as you read this." He handed to Ranma an opened letter.

Ranma read the letter, now assured that Ranko was fine, and his eyes widened. His reaction wasn't as extreme as her's, though. He was more used to having stressful situations left and right. "Mom's coming here..." He whispered.

"Your mother?" Kasumi gasped, surprised by this but also knew this would be something Ranma would want.

"Yeah." Ranma looked up to see Ranko waking up a little. "And according to that letter, she'll be here tomorrow."

"The mother you haven't seen in so long," Kaede said dreamily. "It's just like a soap opera. Can we stay?"

Megumi shook her head. "You and the mushy stuff. Give me a fight any day of the week." She had a smirk on her face. "But as I said before, I would love to see how this all plays out."

"Come on, girls!" Ranko pouted. "You make it sound like my life here is the number one rated TV show in Japan!"

Ranma didn't pay any attention to it though. His mind was focused on one thing and one thing only.

He was finally going to see his mother!

**To Be Continued...**

_**Author's Notes:**__Yes, Nodoka will be showing up next chapter but don't expect a normal, happy go lucky reunion. This is the Saotome clan we are talking about after all. There will be many surprises for the tenth chapter and something you've long been suspecting will be confirmed in a very shocking way, one that will have long lasting ramifications. Until the next time..._


End file.
